Family Love?
by CrazyApplesandOranges
Summary: Kakashi has to take care of Itachi and Sasuke after Fugaku and Mikoto die. Does he want to? Heck no! Does he have to? Unfortunatly, yes. But with the help of Iruka, can he learn to accept his new role as father?
1. Why Me?

**A/N: Okay. So I got this idea during lunch the other day (I don't know how), but for some reason I started thinking about Itachi. What would of happened if he had been raised by someone else? Then I started thinking about the stories I had read where Kakashi is Sasuke's father. And it lead to this.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, no matter how cool that would be. Otherwise Itachi would not be evil, and people I liked would not be dead.**

Kakashi stumbled into his apartment and slid his vest off, throwing it onto the couch. He had just finished a mission, and he was so tired, he just wanted to sleep for the rest of his life - literally.

But first, food. He hadn't eaten in hours, and all he wanted was a bowl of ramen, then he could take a shower and sleep. Maybe watch some TV.

But, alas, it was not to be. Someone knocked on the door at that moment, and Kakashi groaned before turning back towards the door. He yanked it open, revealing Asuma on the other side.

"What?" he growled.

"Jeez," Asuma said, smiling, a cigarette hanging out of the corner of his mouth. "Is that any way to greet one of your best friends?"

"If you interrupt my sleep time, you're not my best friend anymore. Gai just took your place." Kakashi said, leaning against the wall tiredly.

"Wow," Asuma said with mock sadness. "That hurts. That really hurts."

Kakashi sighed. "What did you come here for?"

"Can't a man come visit his friend?"

"No."

"Fine. The Hokage wants you in his office."

"Right now?"

"Mmm-hmm." Asuma said absently.

Kakashi pouted behind his mask. "I don't wanna go. I wanna sleep!"

Okay, so he was acting like a child, but he needed his sleep!

"I will drag you there." Asuma threatened.

"Fine. I'll go. Just give me a minute." Kakashi went back into his apartment and into the kitchen. He grabbed an apple and his vest, putting it back on.

He locked the door and slipped the key into his pocket. "Come on."

As he walked, he ate his apple (making sure to pull his mask down and take a bite, slipping the mask back up before anyone noticed) and tried to figure out why the Hokage wanted him. He had just gotten home from a mission, so it couldn't be another one, but what else could it be?

Minato was waiting for them when they got there. He had a small bundle in one arm, and a toddler clutching his pants leg.

"'Bout time." Minato said, smiling. Kakashi couldn't take his eyes off the kids he had, though.

"Why do you have children with you?" he asked.

"Not even a 'hello'?" Minato asked. Kakashi finally looked at his old teacher's face (not that he was old, mind you), and saw in his eyes that he was worried. About what, who knows?

"Hello." Kakashi said. "Now, why am I here? I just finished a mission; there's no way you have another one for me."

"Well," Minato furrowed his eyebrows in frustration. "Some people might call it a mission. I wouldn't, though. You probably wouldn't learn what I'm trying to teach you."

Kakashi raised an eyebrow. "What else could you possibly have to teach me?"

Minato grinned. "Parenting."

"What?"

"Parenting." Minato repeated.

"You've got to be kidding me."

"Nope."

"Why me?" Kakashi whined.

"Because," Minato started. "A) you need to learn responsibility. B) You're the only person I can go to for this sort of thing."

"Why me?"

"Just shut up and listen!"

Kakashi shut up.

Minato sighed. "Much better. Now, you know Fugaku and Mikoto Uchiha, right? Well, they, um, died on a mission. And now we have two orphans. Before she left, Mikoto said that she would feel much better if we found someone who could learn something from her children if she ever died. Or something like that."

"And what made you think of me?"

"You need to learn responsibility. How many times do I need to tell you this?"

Until now, Asuma had been standing quietly next to his friend. He spoke up uncertainly. "Kakashi doesn't know anything about parenting though, Hokage-sama. He'll probably end up killing them."

Minato nodded. "That's why, once a week, someone will come check up on you. If you need help on any other day besides than, you can go to Kushina. She knows probably everything about children."

"I am a ninja. I need to go on missions." Kakashi argued.

"Which is exactly why I will give you one mission a month to start with, because you need to be with these kids as much as you can. Any questions?" Minato said.

"Why me?"

"Kakashi, shut up."

Asuma asked, "What are their names?"

"Oh! This is Sasuke," Minato said, holding up the bundle. He pointed to the toddler. "And this is Itachi."

Itachi looked up at them with dark eyes. He looked tired, which would make sense, seeing as it was really late.

"You should get them home. I sent someone to prepare your apartment for you." Minato said happily, passing Sasuke to Kakashi. He almost dropped him, before figuring out the proper way to hold him. The Hokage picked Itachi up and handed him to Asuma. "Here ya go."

Kakashi scowled at his former teacher behind his mask. "But—"

"Good luck!" Minato pushed them out of his office and slammed the door shut.

Asuma adjusted Itachi on his hip, before sighing and starting forward. "Might as well get them to bed."

Itachi was almost asleep anyways, and Sasuke was already asleep in Kakashi's arms.

"Might as well." he muttered, before following his friend back to his apartment.

**A/N: Yay! I finished! Wow, this was almost three pages long. This is probably, like, the longest thing I have ever written. Maybe. Hope you liked it, and I want to know what you think. Be honest. Tell me if there's some wrong information, or something, (besides the fact that Itachi killed his parents; this is obviously an AU), because I'm only on, like, episode 105 or something. I know small things from my sister, but not much.**

**Please review!**


	2. What Food?

A/N: Chapter 2! Be proud of me!

Kakashi stared at the children in front of him for a moment, trying to figure out what they ate. He knew Itachi could probably eat some solid food, seeing as he was three, but Sasuke couldn't. He was barely a year old. It didn't help that practically the only thing he had in his kitchen was ramen, alcohol, and milk and cereal.

So he stared, like, 'Maybe if I stare enough, there will be a sign on what they eat.'

Kakashi knew nothing about children.

He had somehow survived the night, eventually figuring out how to change Sasuke's diaper, even if it took probably a million different tries for him to get it done right. Thank God, Itachi was potty trained. If he wasn't, Kakashi would not have made it through the night with his sanity still intact.

Then there was the whole feeding thing. When Minato said people had prepared his apartment for him, he obviously had not thought of food.

Which brought us to the staring contest between shinobi and children. Kakashi was about ready to rip out his hair in frustration.

"Fine!" he shouted, throwing his hands in the air. "I give up! I'll find someone to feed you."

He put his vest on, made sure his mask was in place, before picking Sasuke up off the couch, grabbing Itachi's hand and leaving his apartment. "Who would be up this early?" he muttered to himself, ignoring the fact that Sasuke was asleep and drooling on his shoulder.

Let's see. . . Minato and Kushina, maybe, seeing as Naruto is Sasuke's age. . . Anko, my wonderful, scary friend. Asuma, Gai.

He really didn't want to face Kushina's wrath if she wasn't up, and Asuma was murderous if he was woken up before ten, and it was only seven, so he was out of the question. Gai . . . well, knowing him, he was probably out doing some outrageous exercise, training for their next "youthful meeting", as Gai would call it.

He was halfway to Anko's house when he realized that there was one other person he could go to. Iruka.

He had talked with Iruka a couple of times. He had been to his apartment once when he had been injured on a mission and had outright refused to be taken to the hospital, and as far as he knew, Iruka had not moved. He would be able to help him with this problem. He _was _and Academy teacher.

He changed course and started walking in the opposite direction. Itachi whined at the sudden change, and Sasuke shifted in Kakashi's arms, fully awake, but Kakashi ignored them. He just hoped that Iruka would be up this early.

Kakashi waited for the elevator, and when it came, he led Itachi in and pressed the button for the third floor. There was another woman in the elevator with him, and she was outright staring at him.

"What?" he asked her. She squeaked and turned away, her face bright red. "Well then. . ." he muttered.

He exited the elevator, almost dragging Itachi behind him in his haste to get to Iruka. Sasuke was hurting his ears with his ear-splitting screams of hunger. Kakashi knocked on the door he knew to be Iruka's urgently.

A sleepy-looking brunette opened the door. Iruka rubbed his eyes, looked at Itachi, Sasuke and Kakashi, blinked, and looked again.

"Kakashi?" he asked, leaning against the door frame.

"Hi, Iruka!" Kakashi said happily, wincing when Sasuke howled again. Itachi had covered his ears, and he was looking up at Kakashi expectantly, telling him to feed his brother before _he_ started screaming. "Can I come in?"

"Sure?" It came out more as a question. Kakashi pushed past him, depositing Sasuke in the other man's arms, and picking Itachi up instead. Kakashi slipped his sandals off at the door, following Iruka into the living room and placing Itachi on the couch. "Why are you here?"

"The Hokage wants me to take care of the Uchiha kids; their parents died on a mission. He got this crazy idea in his head that I could take care of them, but I have no idea what I'm doing."

Iruka sat down and nodded his head towards Sasuke, who had fallen silent and was watching his older brother. "So, is he hungry, or something?"

"I think so. I didn't know what they ate, so I dragged them out here," Kakashi said, shrugging.

"And what makes you think that I just happen to have food for babies in my kitchen?" Iruka asked.

"Do you?" Kakashi leaned back in his seat next to Itachi and closed his eyes. 'Please say yes, please say yes. . .' he thought urgently.

Iruka sighed before getting up, gesturing for Kakashi to grab Itachi and follow him. He led the way into the kitchen, and he waited for Kakashi to set the older Uchiha in a chair before giving him Sasuke. "Watch carefully." He said, turning to the fridge. Kakashi sat down in the chair next to Itachi, moving Sasuke so he was sitting in his lap.

The Jonin watched as the brunette searched the fridge for something. Iruka pulled a jar of applesauce from the back of the fridge and unscrewed the lid. "You can feed a baby pretty much anything, as long as it's mashed. I would use applesauce, mostly, just because it's, you know, sauce. Just make sure it's not too hot or cold," he said, pulling a bowl from one of the many cupboards. He poured some of the applesauce in the bowl, turning away from Kakashi a moment to search for something else.

When Itachi started tugging on his sleeve, Kakashi knew he was hungry too, and wanted food. What to feed a three-year-old?

Iruka took Sasuke from Kakashi, sitting down in a vacant chair, and started to feed the baby. Sasuke giggled and opened his tiny mouth, greedily swallowing the food Iruka offered him. "Find something for Itachi; as long as it's cut into small amounts, he can eat almost anything," Iruka offered, adjusting Sasuke. Kakashi sighed and stood up, making his way over to the fridge.

"Okay. . ." he muttered to himself, looking through the items. "There's some ramen, milk, fruits. . . Ah ha!" He successfully pulled out a plastic bag of leftover pizza. He opened cupboards until he found a plate, and utensils, and almost skipped back to the table. If Itachi could eat pizza, his life would be way easier!

He cut the pizza into pieces and slid the plate over to Itachi, who dug in to his food, not using his fork. Kakashi relaxed in his chair, nearly falling asleep from his tired night of diaper- changing and crying children, when Iruka plopped a sleeping Sasuke in his lap. He pointed to Itachi, saying, "I think you should get them home. You all need your sleep. If you need anything, just come back and I'll help in any way I can."

Kakashi thanked the brunette, and shook Itachi awake, leading him back over to the door. Iruka closed the door behind them, and Kakashi made his way back to his apartment.

A/N: Okay first of all, about the whole elevator thing, I do not live in Japan, so I don't even know if they have elevators, so don't yell at me if it turns out they don't. Just pretend for the sake of this story that they have elevators. Second of all, I want at least five reviews this time. Please, please, please, please? Pretty please? Pretty please with a cherry on top?

And tell me what you think of this story. PLEASE!


	3. Sasuke and Kakashi Have Breakdowns

Kakashi sighed for what seemed like the millionth time that day. Why, why did Sasuke cry so much?

"Shush, come on, Sasuke, go to sleep," he pleaded, bouncing Sasuke gently. The baby stared at him with wide, dark eyes. "Please?"

Sasuke clapped his tiny hands happily, pulling at Kakashi's mask. Kakashi sighed again, happily this time, and carefully pulled Sasuke's hands away from his face. The baby immediately burst into loud, heart-wrenching sobs, and Kakashi almost started crying himself. How did parents deal with this?

"Sasuke, no, please, don't cry, calm down," Kakashi murmured. "Please, please, go to sleep."

Itachi looked up from where he was playing quietly by himself. "Food?" he asked softly.

_You have got to be kidding me_, Kakashi thought. Aloud, he said, "Are you hungry, Itachi?"

The little boy nodded. Kakashi wanted to scream in frustration. What was he supposed to feed Itachi? He didn't have any food in the apartment; he was always on missions, and when he was home, he always went out.

"Okay," Kakashi said as Sasuke resumed playing with his mask, finally quiet. "Let's go visit the Hokage."

/\/\

Minato stared as his former student burst into his office.

"Sensei, you have to help me!" Kakashi cried. "I have no idea what I'm doing, Itachi's hungry, Sasuke is a non-stop crying machine, and I would rather be on a mission with no chance of surviving than trying to figure out how to be a parent!"

Kakashi panted, hard, resisting the urge to just drop Sasuke in the Hokage's lap and run, run as fast as he could.

Sasuke started crying again from Kakashi's shouts, and the gray-haired ninja screamed in pure terror, and Minato just barely caught the baby as his former student dropped the Uchiha. Kakashi fell to his knees and covered his ears, whining and whimpering.

Minato sighed, stood up, and looked over at Iruka, who was standing in front of the desk, frozen in disbelief.

"Here," Minato said, handing Sasuke to the brunette. "Quiet him down, please."

Minato crouched down next to Kakashi, smiling softly at Itachi, standing behind the Jonin. "Itachi, why don't you go over to Iruka and help him with your brother?"

Itachi moved away with a nod, and Minato turned his attention to Kakashi. The Jonin had quieted down, and was now rocking back and forth quietly. "Kakashi," Minato said softly. "It's okay. I guess that was a lot to dump on you, especially with you limited knowledge of kids—"

"You think?" Kakashi stated sarcastically, raising his head to glare at the blonde. Minato glared right back, but a smile was tugging at his lips.

"But you have to calm down." Minato continued. "There's a reason I gave the kids to you and not one of their relatives. Do you want to know that reason?"

"…I guess."

"Fugaku and Mikoto requested it."

Kakashi was pretty sure he stopped breathing at that statement.

"What do you mean, Fugaku and Mikoto Uchiha requested it?"

Minato let out a sigh. "When Fugaku and Mikoto died, they passed the guardianship of Itachi and Sasuke to you."

"But . . . why?" Kakashi asked.

"I'm not sure, but I think—from her will—Mikoto was good friends with Obito. When he died, she heard about what had happened to you on that mission. She felt bad, especially considering you were his best—and I use the term loosely—friend."

Minato stood up and walked over to the window, looking over the village almost sadly. "She knew you blamed yourself, I guess, and when she wrote her will, she must have decided that you were the best person to care for her children."

Kakashi looked over at Iruka, holding Sasuke, now silent except for a happy giggle every now and then; at Itachi, standing quietly next to the brunette. He smiled a little.

"I can do it," he decided. "But I will need help."

Iruka looked over at the Hokage, utterly befuddled as to what the heck had just happened. First, Kakashi was having a breakdown, now he was making life-changing decisions in less than thirty seconds?

"Iruka," Minato announced. "Help him."

"Huh?" Iruka said.

"Help him," Minato repeated. "Teach him what he has to do, and make sure he doesn't accidentally kill the kids."

Kakashi scratched the back of his head, smiling sheepishly. "That does sound like something I would do." He chuckled.

Minato rolled his eyes."Think of it as a mission if you have to; just make sure he doesn't do anything stupid."

Iruka sighed. "Yes, Hokage-sama."

Kakashi jumped up. "Okay! Let's get moving before Sasuke decides to cry again."

He grabbed Iruka's shirt before he could argue, and Iruka was just barely able to snatch Itachi's hand before he was dragged out of the room.

"Good luck!" Minato called after them.

"First lesson," Iruka said minutes later, standing next to Kakashi in the street. "Always make sure you have both the kids before you leave the building."

"Got it."

Itachi tugged on Iruka's hand. "Yes, Itachi?"

"Food?" the toddler asked hopefully.

Iruka looked over at Kakashi. "Have you fed them at _all _since yesterday?"

"Sorry?" Kakashi said. "I don't have any food at home."

Iruka decided that he would yell at the clueless man later. "At least we know why Sasuke was crying; he was hungry. Come on; we're going grocery shopping."


	4. Lesson Two: No Porn, No Candy

Iruka sighed in exasperation. Who would have thought that shopping with Kakashi would be so hard? Add that to dragging around a three-year-old and a baby, and he was almost ready to drop the mission.

"Kakashi," Iruka almost hissed the name. "We cannot buy your porn while grocery shopping."

Kakashi pouted behind his mask, putting the book back down. "But, why not?"

"Because, we have two children with us, and one is an Uchiha genius. Second lesson: don't leave your porn around for Itachi to read. He's three years old! He does not need to know about that yet!" Iruka said, grabbing some vegetables and dropping them in the cart, then leaning over and extracting a pack of candy from the mess. He stopped to glare at Kakashi.

"What?" the gray-haired ninja asked innocently, even though there was nothing innocent about him.

"You know what!" Iruka said. "Really, Kakashi? You can't get candy either. One, it's not healthy for you, and two, Itachi can't have sugar, because the one time he did…" he trailed off, shuddering violently. "I don't want to think about it."

"But I want candy!" Kakashi whined.

Iruka raised an eyebrow, moving the cart over to check out. "You are a grown man, Kakashi. I'm sure you can live without your precious candy."

Iruka paid the amount needed for the groceries—Kakashi claimed that he had forgotten his wallet at home—and made sure he had all three of them—Kakashi acted enough like a kid to be counted as one.

"Kakashi, where's your apartment?" Iruka asked when he realized that he didn't know where he was going.

"Hmm?" Kakashi hummed, not looking up from his book—porn of course. "Oh, we passed it a block ago."

"And you decided not to tell me this, why?" Iruka hissed through clenched teeth.

Kakashi shrugged. "I forgot."

Iruka gritted his teeth and allowed the older ninja to lead the way back to his apartment.

Kakashi opened the door and slipped off his sandals, stretching out on the couch after setting Sasuke on the floor. Itachi watched his younger brother with amused eyes; and really, it was kind of funny, watching Sasuke crawl around the room curiously. Babies and toddlers just had that affect on someone.

"Kakashi," Iruka called from the kitchen. "Where is all of your food?"

"I didn't have any. That's why we went shopping, remember?" Kakashi called back.

"What were you eating before now?" Iruka asked, appearing in the kitchen doorway. "_Were_ you eating?"

"Of course I was eating. Just not at home." Kakashi answered, turning on the TV. Iruka held back another hiss, what seemed like the millionth that day, and went back to unpacking the groceries. He would get back at Kakashi, just not today.

/\/\

Itachi watched the masked man - Kakashi, he thought his name was - place Sasuke on the floor carefully. Where were Mommy and Daddy? Why were they with this strange man?

Sasuke cooed happily as he was given his teddy bear. Kakashi stepped back and collapsed on the couch wearily. Itachi knew the man wasn't getting much sleep the past couple weeks, what with Sasuke keeping him up all night, and the other scarred one - Iruka, he thought- tried to let him get as much sleep as possible when the brunette was over. But truthfully, he was probably only getting a couple hours of sleep every night.

Itachi saw Kakashi close his one eye, and heard the even breathing signaling the man was asleep. Itachi also saw that Sasuke was about to open his mouth and start crying, so he hurried forward, distracting his brother with some of his toys; the baby smiled again, and Itachi sighed in relief. Even though he was only three, he knew that getting such little sleep was bad for a person, even if it was a ninja.

Iruka walked in then, yawning and scratching his cheek. The brunette had fallen asleep in Kakashi's room, Sasuke having kept them both up well into the night. Itachi actually wanted to laugh at the two men's obvious failure at parenting so far; Mommy would have known what Sasuke had wanted the second he had started crying, and she would be getting more than two hours of sleep every night.

Iruka smiled at Itachi and Sasuke, then went into the kitchen to make some coffee. Itachi had had coffee once. Daddy had left it on the table, and Itachi, thinking it was chocolate milk, drank some.

He didn't like the bitter aftertaste it left in his mouth.

Sasuke giggled, a high-pitched sound, and Itachi dragged his attention back to his brother. He was laying on his back now, arms stretched out in the air, kicking his legs. Itachi smiled; his brother really was too cute.

Iruka appeared again, bending down and picking Sasuke up. "Time for your nap, little guy," he said softly so as not to wake Kakashi up.

Sasuke poked Iruka's cheek curiously as Iruka led him into Kakashi's room, and Itachi went into the kitchen. Iruka would get him some food when he got back.

Itachi pulled himself onto a chair and situated himself just as Iruka came back in.

"Are you hungry, Itachi?" Iruka asked. Itachi nodded. Iruka hunted through the fridge for a moment, then turned and set a plate of fruit in front of Itachi.

Itachi took a bite, chewing thoughtfully. "Iruka, where are Mommy and Daddy?" he asked quietly.

Iruka looked into his coffee for a long time before answering. "I-well, Mommy and Daddy had to go far away for a mission. They won't be back for a while," he finally said.

_How do you tell a three-year-old their parents are dead?_ Iruka wondered sadly, closing his eyes and leaning back in his chair.

There was no way to tell him. It was virtually impossible.


	5. Kakashi's Plan

Kakashi paced the length of Minato's office repeatedly, annoying the hell out of both Iruka and the Fourth Hokage.

"What are we supposed to do? Itachi's smart; eventually he's going to figure out what happened to his parents," Iruka said, trying to ignore the masked ninja. "We can't keep lying to him."

Minato glanced up from his paperwork. "And if Itachi keeps asking questions without getting answers, he's going to ask questions elsewhere. Then Sasuke, when he's older, will start wondering also," he pointed out tiredly. "We have to get this problem out of the way."

"I've got it!" Kakashi shouted triumphantly. Iruka glanced at him worriedly.

"It took you over an hour to get an idea?" Minato asked, gazing at his former student in disbelief. Kakashi ignored him.

"Where's Inoichi?" he questioned, looking around like the older blonde would appear out of thin air.

"Obviously not here," Iruka muttered under his breath; no one heard him.

"At his family's flower shop. Why?" Minato answered, raising an eyebrow at Kakashi.

"Because I need him." Kakashi stated simply, before he was gone, disappearing out the door. Probably to find Inoichi.

Iruka gazed out the window behind Minato's head, smiling inwardly at how peaceful the village was.

It was only a couple of months ago that the Nine-Tails was released, but with the Third Hokage's help, Minato was able to subdue the demon and seal it into his newborn son. Unfortunately, Sarutobi was killed, and Kushina almost lost her life. Luckily, Tsunade, who had helped raise Minato, was able to save her, and she was currently at home, watching Sasuke, Itachi, and Naruto.

Kakashi burst back into the room, dragging Inoichi behind him.

"I found him!" he announced proudly, and Inoichi stared at him for a moment before shuffling to the side, a good distance away from the masked ninja.

"What do you need, Hokage-sama?" the Yamanaka asked. Minato sighed and ran a hand through his blonde hair.

"Truthfully? I have no idea. Ask the man who brought you here." He said.

Inoichi glanced back at Kakashi, then at Iruka. The brunette understood the pleading look in his gaze and reluctantly turned to Kakashi.

"So," he started. "What was your _brilliant_ idea?"

Kakashi brightened and said, "We erase Itachi's memory."

"No," Minato said immediately. "We can't erase a three-year-olds memory—"

"Are you sure, Sensei?" It's the only way." Kakashi argued.

Iruka spoke up. "Hokage-sama, it's actually not that bad of an idea."

"I know it's not that bad of an idea, but we can't erase his memory. That would probably be bad." Minato countered.

"Probably? Sensei, you should know whether it's bad or not."

"Hokage-sama, I hate to say it, but I think it is the only way."Iruka said. Kakashi grinned, throwing an arm over the brunette's shoulder.

"See? He's on my side." He said. Iruka ignored him.

Minato sighed, raking a hand through his hair repeatedly. "I know. I just can't understand how—"he broke off and narrowed his eyes, staring at Kakashi. "You knew I was going to say yes, didn't you? That's why you brought Inoichi."

Kakashi stared back innocently, even though there was nothing innocent about him.


	6. Daddy?

Kakashi paced the length of the room, holding Sasuke while the little Uchiha played with his mask. He wasn't pulling it down, but if he did, Kakashi would be able to yank it back up before anyone saw his face.

Minato sat in a chair next to him, bouncing a little blonde Naruto up and down in his lap gently. The baby was cooing, tugging on his father's long jacket.

"Kakashi," Minato groaned. "Sit down before you wear a hole in the carpet. Inoichi is an expert; he knows what he's doing."

"What if he messes up? Oh, God, this was a bad idea." Kakashi dragged his hand through his hair frantically.

"Kakashi, this was your idea! Are you saying you don't trust yourself?" Minato said.

"Exactly! That's the whole point! This was my idea; when have my ideas ever worked?" Kakashi said loudly.

"Uhh…" Minato struggled to come up with an idea Kakashi had had that worked.

"Exactly! You can't come up with one. Why, why would you let me convince you of this? You're the Fourth Hokage; aren't you supposed to be immune to this kind of stuff?"

"Apparently not. I've been spending too much time with you and Kushina. You two have broken me down."

Inoichi finally stepped out of the room that he had been holed up in for the last hour or so, his daughter on his hip.

"It's done," he announced tiredly, collapsing in one of the many plastic chairs. The tiny blonde in his arms was asleep on her father's shoulder. "He's asleep now. When he wakes up, he will have no memory of ever being an Uchiha. He will act the same; except for the fact that he thinks Kakashi is his father."

"Oh, thank God, "Kakashi moaned, leaning against the wall. Minato raised an eyebrow at him.

"Is it possible that the great Copy Ninja Kakashi Hatake has grown to care for his two charges?" the Hokage asked. Kakashi glared at him.

"Of course I care for them! They're too cute not to love," Kakashi defended himself. "I'd better go get Itachi."

He handed Sasuke to his former sensei and opened the door, closing it quietly behind him.

Kakashi let his eyes—well, eye—adjust to the darkness, easily finding Itachi's small body laying on the only piece of furniture in the room. The couch wasn't very big, but it was enough for Itachi to stretch out on fully and take a comfortable nap.

"Itachi," Kakashi whispered, shaking the raven gently. Black eyes fluttered open, blinking at the man above him.

"Dad?" Itachi croaked.

Kakashi just barely stopped himself from shrieking and jumping backwards. Inoichi had said that Itachi would think he was his dad, and technically, he was. He just wasn't used to it.

"I'm here, Itachi," he murmured, gathering Itachi's small form in his arms and lifting him up. Itachi situated himself on his 'father's' hip, falling asleep again almost immediately.

When Kakashi appeared next to Minato again, Inoichi was gone, having gone home to get some much-needed sleep. Kakashi wanted to follow his example and find Iruka so that he could watch the kids instead, but he had to do one thing first.

"Minato-sensei, thank you," he said.

"For what?" Minato asked, standing up after creating a Shadow Clone to carry Sasuke for Kakashi.

"For assigning me this mission."

/\/\

Iruka stared down at the three-year-old disbelievingly. "Did-did he just call me what I think he called me?"

"Yep." Kakashi answered from his place on the couch. He was stretched out, mask nowhere to be found. Sasuke had long ago ripped it off, and Kakashi was too lazy to get a new one. Besides, Iruka didn't care what he looked like. He had seen it before that night long ago, when Kakashi refused to go to the hospital and came to him instead. His mask had been ripped to shreds, and the only reason no one noticed was because he replaced it with his ANBU mask.

"Itachi just called me 'Daddy'."

"Yep."

"Why?"

"Because Inoichi apparently went one step too far and accidently made him think that you were his dad, too."

"You're kidding me, right?"

"Nope."

"Can you say anything besides one-word sentences?"

"Your dinner is burning."

Iruka spun around and stared open-mouthed at the stove, where his dinner, was, in fact, burning. He didn't know how it was possible to burn _water_, but apparently he had a talent for it.

"Damn it!" he shouted, rushing forward to turn the stove off.

"Daddy shouldn't say words like that," Itachi said from his place at the table. He was busy coloring, having just recently discovered it from his new best friend, Hana Inuzuka. They were close in age, and she had been coloring when they first met on the way home from the store.

While Kakashi had cowered behind Iruka with Sasuke at the sign of Tsume Inuzuka, Itachi had cautiously crept forward, ignoring Kakashi's protests. He and Hana had become fast friends, and Itachi now had a new hobby.

Iruka almost said something along the lines of, 'Daddy can do whatever he damn well pleases,' but he figured that might not be something he should say to a three-year-old. So he opted for silence.

Kakashi was happily staring at Itachi, glad that at least something good had come from this whole experience. Itachi's whole personality had changed. Sure, at times he still acted like an Uchiha. But at others, he was as happy and child-like as a three-year-old could be.

That night, when Kakashi and Iruka had finally gotten the two kids to bed, they would sleep through the entire night without having to get up once.

A/N: Yes! Another chapter! Does anyone realize that I've updated FIVE TIMES THIS WEEK? Man, I am on a roll!

So, to explain the reason Iruka is sleeping in Kakashi's apartment… there really isn't a reason. It's just necessary. So pretend that he temporarily moved in to help Kakashi with the kids.


	7. First Mission

The next day Kakashi was called to the Hokage's office. He left the kids with Iruka and made sure his mask was in place—he hadn't been wearing it often the past couple days—and made his way to Minato's office slowly.

The Fourth Hokage was sitting calmly behind his desk, stamping papers and moving them to the side mechanically. He looked up when Kakashi entered the room.

"Ah, Kakashi," he said, stretching. "Just the shinobi I was looking for. I have a mission for you."

Kakashi frowned. "What?"

"You are to take a group of Genin and take them to their sensei in a village near the border," Minato continued, ignoring Kakashi.

Kakashi sighed. "Fine. I'll do it. When do I meet them?"

Minato smirked. "Right now."

Three kids walked in the door then, the brunette girl standing in between her two scowling teammates.

"Kakashi, meet Katsu Uchiha," the raven on the girl's left side nodded. "Michio Iwasaki," the boy with blue hair on the right waved cheerily. "And Miyuki Kasamatsu." The girl smiled.

"Team Daichi, meet Kakashi. He's your temporary sensei," Minato said.

"Yes, Hokage-sama," Miyuki said.

"You'll meet at the gates in one hour to start your mission. Pack enough for a couple days." Minato dismissed them with a wave of his hand, and the three Genin bowed then walked out of the room. Kakashi hesitated before leaving.

/\/\

"What did the Hokage need?" Iruka asked when he got home. Itachi was still sitting at the kitchen table drawing, and Sasuke was crawling around the living room. Iruka was alternating between watching the TV and watching Sasuke.

"I have to go on a mission. I'll be gone a couple days." Kakashi answered, moving into his bedroom to find a bag to stuff his provisions in. Iruka followed him.

"Really? I would have thought Minato would wait a couple days, especially seeing as Itachi just got his memory erased," he said, leaning against the door. Kakashi shrugged, dropping to his hands and knees to look under his bed for his bag.

"It's in your closet," Iruka said. He knew the man in front of him so well by now he knew exactly what Kakashi was looking for without him having to say it.

Kakashi moved over to the closet, and sure enough, the backpack was sitting on the floor. "Thanks," he said to Iruka.

"Is it—"

"I just have to take a team of genin to their sensei. It isn't going to be dangerous, I promise," Kakashi said. Just like Iruka, he knew exactly what the brunette needed to know, what he was looking for, and what he was thinking.

"You'll be back in two days?"

"More or less,"

Iruka sighed. "Okay. But you're explaining this to Itachi."

/\/\

Kakashi met the team of Genin at the gates in a little over an hour. Sort of.

"You're late!" Michio screeched, pointing a finger at him.

"Sorry. I got a little distracted."

Truth was, he couldn't get Itachi to let go of his leg. For some reason the raven had decided that he would be a little kid today, not the dignified young Uchiha he sometimes was.

"You're lying," Katsu said from his position leaning against a nearby tree. Kakashi blinked.

"Excuse me?"

Miyuki smiled, her dark hair gathered into a braid that was thrown over her shoulder. "Katsu knows when people are lying. He's got a talent for it."

"But I'm not lying. I really was distracted. My son didn't want me to leave," Kakashi defended himself, vaguely marveling at the fact that he actually could call Itachi his son.

"You're married?" Miyuki asked excitedly.

"No."

"Oh." She pouted.

"Then why do you have a son?" Michio wondered.

"I actually have two."

"And yet you're not married?" Michio said, frowning. This completely went against everything he knew!

"Exactly. Now, let's get moving. I promised my friend that I'd be home in two days." Kakashi disappeared into the trees.

"But—"

"Now!"

The three Genin moved to follow him.

/\/\

Iruka sighed. Kakashi had only been gone a day and he was already going crazy with loneliness.

"Itachi," he called tiredly. "Get away from the dog."

For some reason, Hana had deemed it necessary to bring over a puppy when she came over yesterday to see Itachi. She had said that it was his present for being her friend, and the raven had immediately fallen in love with the tiny puppy.

Iruka had no choice but to let him keep the dog. He struggled not to think about what Kakashi would think about this.

"Daddy," Itachi whined. "His name is Hikaru."

"I'm sorry. Get away from Hikaru; he's busy eating." Iruka corrected himself, forcing himself to concentrate on the TV. Minato had thought that it would be a great idea to take Sasuke for the day and make sure that he and Naruto became best friends. So now all Iruka had to do was watch TV and make sure Itachi didn't hurt himself—or the puppy.

Iruka hadn't realized how close he had gotten to Kakashi until he was gone. He was just now realizing that maybe it hadn't been such a good idea to start helping the older ninja.

If he hadn't, maybe he wouldn't be this depressed without Kakashi around.

A/N: Okay, so now we're finally getting to the Kakashi/Iruka part of this story. Finally! I'm totally congratulating myself right now. I thought I would never get this part of the story!


	8. Ambushed

"Look out!" Kakashi shouted to Michio as a kunai sailed past the blue-haired genin. Michio ducked and whirled around, slipping a kunai of his own out of the pack on his leg.

"Don't attack!" Kakashi barked, his ANBU instincts kicking in. "Stay low so we can assess the situation."

Katsu dropped to the ground as a shuriken flew past him, rolling to the side to come up behind a tree. Miyuki bounded over to drag Michio behind a bush nearby, pulling him into a crouch to stay hidden.

Kakashi stayed out in the field, waiting for the next attack. When there was none, he almost called everyone out into the open, but froze when he heard a twig snap somewhere behind him. His gaze slid sideways to makes sure none of the Genin had been the one to move.

They hadn't. They were staring at him with wide eyes, asking without words what—or who—had made that noise.

His answer?

He had no idea.

Kakashi slid around to stare at the trees, searching for any sign of whoever had cracked the twig. He saw just a glimpse of a masked shinobi before a mixture of kunai, shuriken and senbon came raining down on them, and he jumped high enough to latch onto a low hanging branch, swinging himself up to squat on top of it.

His gaze swept through the area he had seen the shinobi, carefully searching for the black material of their outfit—he hadn't seen whether it was a male or female.

Kakashi clenched his fist around the kunai in his hand, his knuckles turning white as he shifted quietly. Adrenaline rushed through his veins, making him restless as he fought to stay still and not make noise.

He threw the kunai when black moved into his line of view, and a grunt followed when the shinobi was hit.

The Jonin created a Shadow Clone, sending it down to distract the ninja while he assessed the situation.

_Okay, so far there's only one. But he might have comrades_, Kakashi thought. _He's only thrown weapons with extreme accuracy, so we don't know his style of fighting really… _

Miyuki yelped as a hand clamped over her mouth and an arm pinned her to a body behind her. Her scared green eyes flicked towards Kakashi's hiding place before moving to stare at Michio.

The blue-haired genin was struggling against the ropes binding him to the tree, too afraid to call out for help as a kunai settled against Miyuki's throat warningly.

Kakashi's clone jumped backward as the shinobi he had been attacking threw himself at him, stretching his arm out. They were forced out into the open, where several kunai were thrown from varying directions. The clone swore under his breath and launched himself into the air to avoid them, letting the kunai clang against each other and fall to the ground.

The real Kakashi watched as the fight went on until finally his clone was hit, disappearing in a cloud of smoke. The masked shinobi took off their mask, throwing their head back and laughing, long dark hair cascading down their back.

Laughter dying down, she tilted her head to stare up at Kakashi.

"Hey, puppy," she called, dropping her hand to rest on her hip. "How have you been doing the past few years?"

/\/\

Iruka barely stopped himself from strangling the little boy in front of him.

"Itachi," he muttered. "Daddy's busy. Go play with Hikaru."

"Hikaru's busy," Itachi said matter-of-factly. "I wanna play with Hana."

"Hana is busy, too," Iruka said, clenching his fist. "She can't play with you right now."

Itachi pouted and the brunette refused to look at him, knowing that if he did he would give into every demand the kid had.

"Itachi, go play with Sasuke."

The little boy pouted again and left the room to go find his younger brother.

Iruka sighed and dropped his head into his hands. The past two days Sasuke had kept him up all night, refusing to go to sleep without Kakashi there and Itachi was constantly asking to see Hana, even though she was staying at her mother's friend's house with Kiba while Tsume was on a mission.

Iruka hadn't realized how much Kakashi had affected the two Uchiha's lives until he was gone.

/\/\

Kakashi dropped to the ground in a crouch, glaring at the woman in front of him. Her golden eyes glimmered with malice in the fading light, and he shivered. The last time he had seen this woman, he had attacked the only thing she had left and abandoned her for dead.

He had thought she had died.

"Keiko," he said, straightening. "Long time, no see."

"Kakashi Hatake, I will kill you for what you did to me!" Keiko shrieked, her playful laughter disappearing in the light of her rage.

"What did I do to you exactly?" Kakashi asked, backing away for the safety of a tree. He never made it.

Another shinobi, this one a man, stepped out, blocking his way. Others appeared, guarding all of the ways he could take to leave.

Not that he would. He had three Genin that he had to protect; he wasn't going to leave them.

So the gray-haired ninja moved forward again, closer to Keiko and her venomous rage.

"You remember, you were there," she snarled. "You know what you did to me."

"Are you sure that was me?"

"Yes!" she hissed, taking a step closer to him. Kakashi could feel her poisonous anger seeping towards him as she got closer, and he stopped breathing as he remembered something about this dangerous kunoichi.

Poison was her specialty.

"You were the one who killed my lover on a mission, you were the one who killed my twin sister, and you were the one who killed my son! You took everything from me!" she screamed, her hair lifting as the wind picked up.

Oh, yeah. He had done that.

Aw, crap.

A/N: Okay, so this is the next chapter. I have the one after this planned out, but I've been kinda busy preparing for my best friend coming to visit this weekend, so I don't know when it'll be out. I do know that I will not update this weekend (see the above sentence), so I've been trying to get all of the writing out of my system so I won't have the urge to type and ruin Katie's visit.

Oh well. Please review!


	9. Flashbacks

_Italics_=Flashback

/\/\

Kakashi tried not to breathe as Keiko advanced on him, stalking towards him with the grace of a panther as they hunted their prey.

"You lied to me," she continued, snarling through her teeth."You pretended to be my friend, then betrayed me, killing everyone I had left. You tried to kill me, too, and you would have if Ryuu hadn't found me. He nursed me back to health, comforted me while I mourned, and helped me plan your death. Kakashi Hatake, I _will_ kill you."

She lunged, her hands extended in front of her like claws. That was another thing he had forgotten about her.

She summoned, trained, and merged with cats, and just like the Inuzuka clan, she acted like them, too.

Keiko snarled when he was able to leap above her, dodging her attack. He crouched behind her, acutely aware of his temporary students being held hostage.

She really had planned this out well.

Kakashi slipped a kunai out of his pack, holding it ready as he contemplated the situation.

Keiko was mad. She wanted to kill him for what he did to her on that mission. He couldn't die, not when he had two kids at home now.

God, what was he going to do?

_Kakashi stood in the Hokage's office, staring at his sensei._

"_Are you sure you can do this?" Minato asked worriedly._

"_Yes, Sensei. I'll do this, because I need something to do. I __**need**__ to get out of the village," Kakashi answered. _

"_Okay. You leave in an hour."_

_/\/\_

_Kakashi crouched in the shadows, staring through the window and into the bedroom. The person he was watching was brushing her chocolate hair, oblivious to the shinobi watching her. _

_Her husband crept up behind her, snaking his hands around her waist. She laughed and tilted her head back to stare at his face, smiling happily. She said something and he nodded, leaving the room to get something. _

_Her gaze slid back to the mirror and she ran a hand over her cheek, glancing around the room through the mirror._

_Her husband came back with a baby boy, and she held her arms out for the baby. The boy twined his fingers through his mother's hair, twisting the dark locks harshly. She just laughed, cooing at her son. _

_Kakashi sighed, almost dreading the fact that he was going to have to destroy this beautiful, picture-perfect family._

_/\/\_

_Kakashi forced a smile as Keiko poured some more tea into his cup. "Thank you," he said. _

_Yoshiyuki slung an arm over his wife's shoulders. "'Kashi, when are you going home?"_

"_A couple months from now," he answered._

_Daisuke cooed and grabbed his mother's hair again. She smiled down at him._

_Kakashi didn't know if he could do this anymore._

_/\/\_

_Kakashi panted as he wiped the blood from his arm. He gazed down at the three bodies in front of him: Daisuke, Yoshiyuki, and Riko. People he had learned to care about over the past few month; people he had to kill because a mission._

_Keiko backed away from him, her left arm limp against her side. "Why?" she whimpered. "I thought we were friends."_

"_I was on a mission. It was all an act," he muttered numbly._

"_I let you eat at our table," she said. "I let you live in our home."_

"_I had to eliminate your family because of your powers," he continued._

"_Why?" she shrieked. "Why did you do this to me?"_

"_A mission. That's all it was."_

_Then the kunai cam slashing down, aimed at her heart. Blood splattered on the ground and the front of his clothes. Keiko fell to the ground. _

Kakashi tore himself out of the memory, ducking a shuriken.

"Why?" Keiko screamed. "Why did you do this to me?"

"It was a mission," he replied. "I had to do it."

"No you didn't!" she cried. "You could have stopped it!"

"I'm sorry," he said. "I'm so sorry."

"No, you're not! You're not sorry!"

"Yes, I am. Keiko, the time I spent with your family was a time I cherished. I didn't have that growing up; my father was never around, and my mother died when I was a couple years old. It killed me inside to do what I did to you; and now I know how you were feeling. I have two kids of my own, and I can only imagine how it felt to lose everything in the space of a few moments.

"My father committed suicide. My mother died on her first ANBU mission. My entire family on my mother's side died because someone was afraid of their power, and my best friend died on my first Jonin mission. The girl who loved me was killed by the fact that the boy who loved her was gone. She knew she could never have me, and her world came crashing down around her.

"I know how you feel, Keiko. And I know you can't forgive me for what I did to you. I respect that. But try to understand that I know what you went through."

Keiko had frozen at his words, not believing that what he had just said was true.

"I don't believe you," she snarled suddenly, snapping out of her daze. "There is no way that you went through that."

"I did," he promised. "I swear I did."

"NO! You didn't!" Keiko lunged at him again, her nails growing into claws. She aimed a punch at his face, using her cat-like reflexes to adjust her direction as he dodged.

As they fought, Kakashi saw another shinobi appear out of the corner of his eye. Daichi was fighting his way through the ninja holding his students hostage.

Now that he didn't have to worry about the Genin anymore, he made his decision.

Kakashi fell to all fours, howling up at the glowing moon as he shifted into a gray wolf (1).

/ \/\

Iruka paced the length of his bedroom at Kakashi's apartment. When he had officially adopted the two Uchiha's, the Hatake had moved to a bigger apartment. Now instead of only one bedroom, he had three. One for him, one for the two boys, and one for Iruka.

And now as the brunette paced, Itachi appeared with a crying Sasuke in his arms. "Daddy," he said. "Sasuke's cwying again."

God, damn it. Itachi had slipped back into little kid mode. That had been happening more and more often lately. And Sasuke refused to do anything Iruka tried to do with him while Kakashi was gone.

"I'll take care of him in a minute, Itachi," Iruka said, waving Itachi back into his bedroom. He glanced back out the window as he walked out of his room, biting his lip.

He would never admit it to him, but he missed Kakashi more than he would like to admit.

A/N: (1): This is a reference to my other story, True Love Never Dies. You don't have to read it, I'll explain everything soon, but if you want to have a bit of background information I would suggest you read it. The only thing that's different is that Minato and Kushina didn't die.

GOD! I finally finished. You will never believe how hard it was for me to write all of that flashback stuff. And in case you got confused, Riko is the twin sister, Yoshiyuki is the husband, and Daisuke is the baby. Keiko was obviously the woman Kakashi was staring at through the window.


	10. The Truth Comes Out

As the gray wolf lunged at Keiko, the cat tamer snarled, dropping to all fours.

Kakashi barked, a warning; if she did what he thought she would, this would not end well. Keiko smiled sadistically, eyes narrowing to slits as she shook her body. The next time Kakashi blinked, a black panther crouched in front of him.

Oh, she did _not_ just do that.

Michio screamed harshly as his head was jerked roughly to the side. A shinobi smiled viciously at the blue-haired Genin as he licked the bare neck, before biting down harshly. Blood slid down the pale neck, and the shinobi lapped at it like a cat would to milk.

Daichi threw a kunai at the shinobi, successfully drawing his attention from Michio. Kakashi whined low in his throat, wanting to go help out, but knowing that he had to take care of Keiko.

_What are you thinking about, puppy?_ Keiko asked through her thoughts. Kakashi wasn't surprised that she could communicate the same way he could. Their families were, after all, closely related in some ways.

_Wouldn't you like to know?_ Kakashi threw back at her.

_Yeah, I would_, she snarled at him. The panther launched herself at him, and he dodged, sliding to the side.

Kakashi didn't attack Keiko, sticking to dodging as the past came back to him in bits and pieces.

The first time he changed.

The time he learned who his mother really was.

The time he met Keiko, and learned who she really was.

The last one he lingered on for far too long. The first time he met Keiko, he had been hiding outside her house. She had interrogated him, then invited him in for lunch with her family.

"_Kakashi, you said your name was?" Keiko said, pouring drinks into his and Yoshiyuki's cups. "Really? I feel like I know you from somewhere."_

_Kakashi chuckled nervously. "I'm fairly popular at home. Maybe you've heard of my fantastic abilities," he tried weakly, avoiding telling her the truth—that he was a feared shinobi all over the five nations._

"_Huh. Well, I'm Keiko Yazuma; you've already met Yoshiyuki, and our son Daisuke is sleeping right now," Keiko said, but Kakashi had frozen._

_Yazuma. That was his mother's maiden name. His family, which had been slaughtered because someone was scared of their ability to change into the wolves. The family he had never gotten to know, because all of them were gone by the time he was four. He hadn't known there were any other Yazuma's besides him._

"_Y-Yazuma?" he repeated._

_She smiled. "Yes. Almost my entire clan was slaughtered, but that was the main branch, the one in Konoha. We had much smaller branches all over the five nations, and we all have a different ability. The wolf ability is nearly extinct, my sister has told me. But the other branches are thriving, because no one knows we're related to the main branch."_

"_O-Other branches?"_

"_Yes. I'm from the feline branch. We can turn into one of many felines, depending on our personality. I'm a panther," Keiko said, oblivious to the mixed emotions going through Kakashi._

_He still had family! Sure, it was distant family, but he still had family!_

_God, this mission was going to be hard to complete now that he knew he was related to these people._

Kakashi tore himself out the past, concentrating on the fight as Keiko managed to bite his shoulder. He shook her off, backing away.

_Keiko_, he whined. _Can't we talk about this like adults?_

_No, _she hissed. _We can't. I thought you were my friend, yet you were only there because of a mission. If you had never come, my family would still be alive!_

_Keiko, _Kakashi pleaded. _Please. You know that deep down inside, you want to hear my reasoning for what I did to you. Please, just give me five minutes._

Keiko bared her teeth, showing anger, but her bright golden eyes showed that she _did_ want to hear his words.

_Fine_, she said_. Five minutes._

_Keiko_, he started_. You know that I'm from the Hatake clan on my father's side._

_Yeah_. She frowned as much as a panther could.

_Well, my mother was a Yazuma. Kina Yazuma. As you can clearly see from my wolf form, _Kakashi said, shaking his fur to make his point. Keiko tilted her head to the side, black fur shining in the fading sunlight.

_Kina Yazuma? _she repeated. _I know her…_

_You probably do. Anyways, she married my dad and had me. When the Yazuma clan was slaughtered, no one knew that I was a Yazuma, because my name was Hatake. _

_So when you say your mother died when you were young… _Keiko trailed off.

_No. She died on her first ANBU mission when I was two. She didn't die in the massacre._

_Oh. _Keiko was still crouching, but her tense muscles under the sleek fur had relaxed, telling Kakashi that she wasn't sure what to feel now.

_But then…? _ Keiko asked, trailing off.

_Why did I kill your family? _Kakashi finished. The panther nodded. _My sensei needed someone to do the job, and I didn't know I was related to you when I took the mission. I think he was hoping that I wouldn't find out. _

Kakashi lay down, dropping a paw over his muzzle miserably. _And I might not have known that there were other Yazuma's if I hadn't met you._

_So what you're saying is…if you hadn't met me, you wouldn't have known we were related? _Keiko clarified.

_Exactly._

_Oh._

Silence reined again, Keiko mulling over this new information, and Kakashi trying to gather his thoughts.

_Keiko_, he said. The young woman lifted her head to gaze at him. _What I did to you really did affect me. I really had started to care about you four, but if I hadn't been able to do it, Minato-sensei would have sent someone far more ruthless than I._

Keiko said nothing for a long time, her golden eyes far away as she contemplated everything he had said.

_Okay_, she finally whispered. _I believe you. I sure as hell don't forgive you yet, but we might be able to become friends again in time._

A/N: Okay! Keiko is not on a rampage anymore! Kakashi has more family. Yay!

Anyways, I'm doing this with my other story. For this story, whoever is the 50th reviewer will get a oneshot dedicated to them! They can choose the plot, characters, anything they want in it. So review review review!


	11. Broken Ribs and Feelings

Kakashi smiled in relief, not that anyone could see it, as he was still in his wolf form, when Keiko said that they might be able to put this whole thing behind them. He really had grown to care for her and her family, and for weeks afterward, he was cold and detached. Even Minato noticed, and he didn't notice those kinds of things easily.

And he never really was the same afterwards, because in some corner of his mind he was always thinking about the family he had torn apart, the family that he could have been a part of if he had just told them who he was.

Keiko shifted back into a human, Kakashi following soon after. Moments after he had though, he gasped in pain. He fell to his hands and knees, one arm wrapped around his ribs in an effort to stop the pain. God, it hurt so bad!

He coughed, and a trickle of blood slipped down his chin. Keiko hurried forward, worry in her golden eyes, but she also didn't completely trust him.

"What? What's wrong?" she asked. Her men had stopped fighting, and the one who had bitten Michio was lying unconscious on the ground. Daichi was panting, seemingly unharmed, and he was busy untying his students.

"My ribs," he gasped. "I think they might be broken."

Keiko frowned, trying to remember when she might have hit him hard enough to break his ribs. She couldn't think of any times, but of course, she sometimes couldn't control her anger. Maybe she broke the clone's ribs, and that in turn had broken the real Kakashi's? She wasn't sure if that could happen.

"Okay," she said, slipping into the role of a medical ninja. Ryuu had been training her in the basics, before he had died, and she knew enough about broken ribs to know what she had to do. Although it was slightly different with the Yazuma's. "Shift back to your wolf form."

Kakashi coughed again, but complied with a shudder. When he was the wolf, he healed faster, he knew that. He didn't know if that worked without doing something about his ribs though.

Keiko stroked his fur lightly as he whined, covering his muzzle with his paws. He was panting, the pain almost worse than it was as a human. But it would help him in the long run, and he had to bear the pain until they could do something about it. It didn't help that they had no first-aid kit.

"Kakashi, you can walk, right?"Keiko asked. The wolf raised his head enough for her to understand that he could walk, and she smiled. There was hope for him after all, as long as they could get to Konoha fast enough.

"Yori!" she called and one of her men came running up to her. "Go ahead to Konoha. Tell the hospital that Kakashi has a broken rib, possibly more."

Yori nodded and hurried away. Kakashi whined, tilting his head towards his comrades. She nodded in understanding.

"Hey! You guys, get over here," she called to Daichi and his students. They looked over, and Daichi tensed when he saw the situation. "We have to get him back to Konoha."

Daichi nodded and said something to his students, and they smiled and leapt up into the trees, following Yori.

Keiko signaled to the rest of her men to pick up their unconscious comrade and go home, and they followed her order without question. Soon it was just them three in the field.

"I'm going to shift to help support him," Keiko said as Daichi approached her, eyes wary. He didn't know what had happened, but the last time he checked, Keiko had been the bad guy—or in her case, girl. He nodded, though, leading the way as Keiko changed.

_Are you okay?_ Keiko thought to Kakashi.

_Yeah,_ he said. _Although, I could do without the pain._

Keiko laughed, a quiet purring sound. _Sorry._

_It's okay. I'm just glad you're not trying to kill me anymore._

They limped along in silence, Keiko's shoulder wedged up against Kakashi's side so he wouldn't fall over.

_You know,_ he suddenly said. _It's probably a good thing that I changed. This way it won't be as bad when we finally get there, because I won't suddenly shift while they're working on me._

_That is a good point,_ Keiko chuckled. She became somber again. _Thank you, for telling me the truth. It was probably better it was you who did it, because if you're right and the Hokage had sent someone else, we might not have had anything to bury._

_I really am sorry._ Kakashi nuzzled Keiko's side reassuringly.

_It's okay,_ Keiko murmured, adjusting her weight as Kakashi stumbled_. I forgive you._

/\/\

The Konoha Hospital was bright white, everywhere Kakashi looked. The doctor's had bandaged his ribs, but he had yet to feel like changing, especially because when he was a wolf he would be stuck in the hospital for a far shorter time.

Besides, the doctor's would probably have to do the whole thing over again, and he didn't want to do that.

Kakashi sighed, raising his head to stare out the window. Keiko had gone to talk to the Hokage, determined to find out why he had deemed it necessary to eliminate the last of the feline branch. She had yet to come back.

He didn't know when he would see the kids, or Iruka, but he did know that he was getting bored.

He heard someone shouting in the hall, and then the door burst open. Iruka walked in, dragging a frantic Itachi behind him. He didn't seem surprised to see a wolf instead of Kakashi.

"Oh, thank, God, you're alright," the brunette moaned. Sasuke, cradled in Iruka's arms, clapped happily when he saw the wolf. Itachi was pouting, about what, Kakashi didn't know. Kakashi whined reassuringly, too lazy to send his thoughts to the younger man.

"I am so glad you're home. Your sons do not follow my orders when you aren't here," Iruka groaned, dropping into the chair next to the bed. Kakashi gave a lopsided wolf smile, and finally summoned the strength to talk to Iruka.

_Why is it they're mine when they don't listen to you? _

"Because they just are," Iruka answered. He sighed and closed his eyes, his tense muscles finally relaxing. Now that Kakashi was home, he could try to separate himself from their family. Now that Kakashi was home, Iruka could try to forget his feelings for the older man.

A/N: Okay, this wasn't what I intended at all. My original plan was to have Kakashi kill Keiko, but then I started to like her, and I couldn't bring myself to do it. So this happened. Oh well. Isn't it funny how things never turn out the way you plan?

Anyways, remember to review!


	12. Explanations

_Italics_=dream/flashback

/\/\

Kakashi limped into the living room of his apartment, still a wolf. Could you blame him though? He was lazy, and it was his home. He could do what he wanted. Besides, it still kind of hurt when he shifted.

Iruka was in the kitchen with Itachi, patiently trying to explain why it was not okay to eat Hikaru's food.

Honestly, Itachi should know better. Kakashi didn't know how he had been convinced to let the kid keep the dog in the first place.

It had taken hours of explaining to Itachi why he was a wolf, and he still didn't fully understand. Iruka had been absent the entire conversation, conveniently choosing to stay with Sasuke instead.

Kakashi was not happy with Iruka's decision.

Because he was sure any minute now, the brunette was going to come out of the kitchen and ask the same questions Itachi had. And Kakashi would have no choice but to answer them.

Kakashi settled himself on the couch, paws draped over his muzzle as he tried to nap a little before the interrogation came.

_Kakashi howled as Minato-sensei laughed a little sadly. _

"_Congratulations, Kakashi. You have officially unlocked your bloodline," he said._

_Kakashi cocked his head to the side, staring at the blonde with dark eyes. Huh? he thought, only to recoil as Minato chuckled._

"_I should probably explain, shouldn't I?" _

_Minato sat down in front of his student, so that they were at eye level. _

"_Kakashi, your family is…special? How do I say it…?" Minato thought for a moment. _

"_Let's start over. You know the story of how your parents met, right?"_

_Kakashi shook his head._

"_Well, basically it was two years before you were born. Your dad met your mom, and it was love at first sight. He came home that night all starry-eyed, babbling about how she was perfect. And really, she was._

"_They got married, and a year later, you were born. Sakumo's life was literally as perfect as a ninja's could be, but then your mom became an ANBU. Her first mission was a disaster, and she didn't make it. Sakumo was heartbroken, and he's probably happier being with your mom now." Minato sighed, turning his face away. _

"_Before she died, Kina, your mom, told us that she loved us, and that we should succeed in our dreams. She told Sakumo to get remarried so that you would have a mother, but he never did. Now you don't have any parents, just me, and Kushina."_

_He stopped suddenly, smiling. "Did we ever tell you that we're your godparents?"_

_Kakashi whined, still not understanding how to talk while being a wolf. _

"_Anyways, your mother was a part of the Yazuma clan. They're kind of like the Uchiha's; they have the Sharingan, whereas the Yazuma's turn into wolves. You know about the Yazuma's, right?"_

_Of course I know about them, Kakashi thought. I knew they were related to me. I'm not stupid._

_He didn't realize that he had sent that thought to Minato until he laughed._

"_I know you're not stupid. I've known you your entire life. But, yeah, they were wiped out a couple years ago by one of the other villages. Your father killed the people who did it, I think. Anyways, you're the last one."_

_Wait, so… Kakashi was getting the hang of this talking thing. How do I change back? And why are we wolves anyways? Why not birds or something?_

_Minato tilted his head back to stare at the sky, the exact same shade as his eyes. _

"_Well, I think the first time you change you have to wait until your body does it for you. Then you just have to practice, I guess. As for why you're wolves, Kina didn't tell me that. But, she did tell me the basic story of how they acquired the ability. A long time ago, the Yazuma clan was given a gift by the goddess Amaterasu. When she separated from her brother, she had a slight fear that he would attack her out of hatred. She created the Yazuma clan to protect her, and later, they joined the Leaf Village. "_

_Oh. Kakashi finally sat down. But, what about after I change back to a human? How do I change back into a wolf?_

_Minato chuckled. "That is for me to know and for you to find out."_

Kakashi jerked awake with a yelp, the memory digging into his heart. That was the time he had learned about his mother, who Sakumo had never shared information about.

That was also the first time that he had heard anything about the Yazuma clan's ability.

Iruka was standing above him with a frown. "What are you doing on the couch? You're not setting a very good example of why Hikaru should not be on it."

_It's my couch, though_, Kakashi argued. _Why shouldn't I sleep on it?_

"Because Itachi might see and not understand why Hikaru can't be on it."

Kakashi didn't get off the couch.

Iruka sighed and made himself comfortable on the floor—Kakashi was taking up the entire couch, what else was he suppose to do?

"So," he started. "Why are you a wolf?"

_Because_, Kakashi sighed. _My mother was a Yazuma, and her clan had the ability to change into wolves._

"Okay…" Iruka said. "What about that Keiko girl?"

_She's a Yazuma too, just from a different branch. She's a panther, the last of the feline branch. I killed her husband, son, and twin sister. _

"Why?"

_Why else? _Kakashi muttered dejectedly._ It was a mission._

"Oh." Iruka thought a moment. "But, why is she in Konoha?"

_We met her on my mission, and I had a talk with her. She finally listened to what I had to say, and we 'made up', I guess you could say. _

"So she doesn't hate you?"

_I don't think so._

"Okay," Iruka said. They sat in silence for a long time.

_Thank you_, Kakashi finally said.

"For what?"

_For taking care of my kids when I couldn't._

A/N: So, there's the background of the Yazuma's, for those of you who haven't read the actual story with Kina in it. So, we need 13 more reviews before you can get your dedicated story, so review!


	13. Hopeless Arguments

A few days later, Kakashi trudged into his living room—still a wolf—to see Keiko sprawled across his couch, flipping through the TV channels.

He barked, cocking his head to the side. Keiko smirked at him and turned back to the TV, seemingly ignoring him. Kakashi whined, forcing his body back to a human—it was just so much easier to talk this way. Besides, it was probably time he started doing stuff again, and not just using his disability as an excuse.

"What are you doing here?" Kakashi demanded of his cousin—at least, he thought they were cousins. He might have to look that up later…

"What?" Keiko said. "I can't visit you?"

"And how did you even get in here?" Kakashi wondered, ignoring what she had just said.

"The scarred brunette let me in. He was leaving with your kids." Keiko said absently.

"Iruka just let you in?" Kakashi repeated. "He doesn't even know you! For all he knew, you could be a serial killer!"

"He seemed like a nice person." Keiko said. She waved her hand vaguely, just narrowly missing Kakashi's head as he dropped to the ground in front of the couch. He sighed, leaning against the couch.

"How are your ribs?" Keiko asked. Kakashi shrugged.

"Mostly healed. Just a little bit bruised, now." He said.

Keiko smiled. "That's good. Told you that it would be better to be a wolf."

Kakashi rolled his eye. "So what have you been doing in Konoha?"

"Not much. Talked to the Hokage, wandered around, talked to some people." Keiko said. Kakashi raised an eyebrow.

"That's it?"

"Well…" Keiko looked around guiltily before sliding down to sit next to her cousin. "I learned something about our family."

Kakashi frowned. What could she have possibly learned that would make her act like this?

"I-our mothers…they were more closely related than we thought."

/\/\

Iruka sighed as Itachi looked around for Hana, while Sasuke played on the ground in front of the bench he was sitting on. Itachi could be so demanding sometimes, and when he gave Iruka the puppy-dog eyes, even he couldn't resist the child's pleads to see his best friend.

And now here he was, sitting on a park bench waiting for the Inuzuka's to arrive.

Itachi poked his leg, successfully getting Iruka's attention. "Yes, Itachi?"

"When's Hana going to get here?"

Iruka sighed. "She'll be here soon."

Itachi plopped down in Iruka's lap, curling up close to him. "When, Daddy?"

"Any minute now, I think."

Iruka closed his eyes and rested his chin on top of Itachi's head.

"When will Daddy be better?" Itachi asked, and Iruka blinked.

"Daddy should be better soon."

"When?"

"A couple of days."

Iruka was saved from more questions when Hana ran up to them, panting and grinning. "Hey, 'Tachi! Let's go play," she said, and Itachi jumped out of his lap and followed his friend.

Tsume appeared at a much slower pace, carrying Kiba. She set him down next to Sasuke.

"Hello, Iruka." She said. Iruka waved.

"Hey, Tsume."

"Has Kakashi gotten any better?" she asked, settling herself on the bench next to Iruka.

Iruka shrugged. "Honestly, I don't know. I think he has, but he refuses to shift back to a human. He's still a wolf."

Tsume rolled her eyes. That sounded just like something Kakashi would do.

"What about that woman that came in with him? Keiko?"

Iruka thought about the woman he had let in before he left the apartment with the kids. "She's doing good. I think. I've only met her once, and that was before I left this morning."

"Did she seem nice?" Tsume wondered.

"Yeah. She was polite, anyway." Iruka answered.

"What does she have to do with Kakashi?"

"I think she's a Yazuma, just like Kakashi's mother. I don't really know much about her, except that she's from the feline branch of the Yazuma's." Iruka said, sighing as he looked at Itachi and Hana happily playing by a tree.

"So you really have no idea how they know each other." Tsume stated rather than asked.

"Pretty much."

"Ah."

They sat in silence for several minutes, each lost in their own thoughts. "Iruka," Tsume finally said.

"Hmm?"

"Are you going to leave them?"

"Huh?" Iruka turned to the woman next to him with a frown.

"Are you going to leave Kakashi, Itachi and Sasuke?"

/\/\

"What do you mean?" Kakashi asked, looking at the brunette.

Keiko shrugged. "Exactly what I said. Our mother's were sisters."

"So…I-I killed almost all of the family I had left?" Kakashi sat up straight, taking in a shuddering breath. Keiko put a hand on his shoulder.

"Not all of the family. You still have me, and Itachi and Sasuke. Plus, all of the Yazuma's you haven't met yet." Keiko assured him. Kakashi shook his head.

"You don't understand. I killed my cousins!" Kakashi groaned and dropped his head onto his knees, ignoring the twinge in his ribs.

"Kakashi," Keiko said. "Calm down! It's okay."

"No it's not!"

"Kakashi!" She shook her cousin hard. "Get a hold of yourself! I forgive you. I'm sure Yoshiyuki would forgive you, and I know Daisuke would forgive you."

Kakashi shook his head. "No. No they wouldn't."

"Yes they would. I know, because I married Yoshiyuki, and I raised Daisuke. If you had just told us, we would have forgiven you. Especially if we had known how badly it was affecting you." Keiko said.

"I wouldn't forgive myself."Kakashi muttered.

"Yes you would. You know you would forgive yourself. You forgave yourself after all these years, didn't you?" Keiko tried to smile, but it came out as a grimace.

"You shouldn't forgive me. Especially now that you know the truth." Kakashi muttered. "I knew I shouldn't have taken the mission. I was never good at the assassination missions. I knew that, and Minato-sensei knew it. But I was the only one without a family. I was the only who was available."

"Kakashi, you have to start caring about your own feelings, and stop caring about the success of the mission." Keiko said firmly. "The Hokage could have found someone else to do it. You just had to say no."

"There was no way I could say no." Kakashi said.

"Yes you could. That's what your father did, right? He cared more about his comrades than the success of his mission. Just because you grew up without the love of parents doesn't mean Itachi and Sasuke should." Keiko said. Kakashi looked up at the mentions of his sons. "If you keep going this way, you'll turn into your father, except you won't care about your comrades. You'll care more about the mission."

Kakashi said nothing.

"You don't want that, do you?"Keiko asked gently.

"Not really."Kakashi whispered.

"Exactly. You have to better than your father. Don't let the opinions of others get to you. Do what you think is right, not what others think." Kakashi finally let a smile appear, only visible because his mask was absent.

"Thanks, Keiko. I think I needed that." He said.

Keiko smiled. "You're welcome. Now," She stood up. "I think I am going to go look for apartments."

"You're staying in Konoha?"Kakashi asked.

"Yep. Minato convinced me that I should stay and help out. I think he felt guilty for ordering my death." Keiko smiled smugly and walked to the door.

"See you later, Kakashi!"

Kakashi waved a hand, then stood up and moved into the kitchen.

He had work to do.

A/N: GOD THIS CHAPTER WAS HARD! You will not believe how long this sat unfinished. I just had so much trouble with it. Oh well. Anyways, I think this will be the last chapter for this story for a while. I'm gonna try to work o n my other stories for a while.

Please review!


	14. Tiny and Cute Sasuke

Kakashi sighed as he stared at the pages of his book, not actually reading it. Where was Iruka? He was supposed to be back ages ago.

"I'm home!" Iruka called, setting Itachi down. The toddler shook his head and stumbled into his bedroom. Playing with Hana had tired him out.

Kakashi leaned against the wall and stared at the brunette, smirking. "Hey, Iruka."

"How was your day, Kakashi?" Iruka asked, dropping his vest onto the couch. Kakashi shrugged.

"Oh, okay, I guess. I just had a talk with my cousin and learned that I murdered my family."

Iruka blinked and sat back where he was crouching in front of the fridge for a snack. "Huh?"

"You heard me. Apparently my mother had a sister and I killed her daughter's family."

"I still don't understand."

"Keiko came over—"

"Oh, she seemed nice." Iruka said, smiling. He looked back in the fridge and grabbed an apple, standing up and closing the door.

"Daddy!" Itachi shouted, and Iruka cocked his head to the side. Was he talking about him or Kakashi?

"I'm coming, Itachi!" he called. He stepped past Kakashi. "We'll finish this conversation later."

Itachi was standing in the middle of his and Sasuke's shared bedroom with his pants somehow on backwards and his shirt caught around his ears. "Oh, Itachi, how many times have I told you to wait for me before getting dressed?"

"A lot of times."

"Exactly." Iruka carefully pulled Itachi's shirt over his head and helped him out of his pants. Grabbing the pajamas Itachi had set next to him, Iruka assisted him in pulling those on and carried him to bed. "Go to sleep, Itachi."

"Night, Daddy."

Iruka closed the door quietly and went into the living room, where Kakashi was sitting watching TV.

"So what's this about Keiko coming over?" Iruka prompted, resuming their previous conversation.

"Huh? Oh, so we started talking and she told me that our mothers were sisters."

"How did you not know about your aunt?" Iruka asked, sitting next to Kakashi.

"I don't know. Mom died when I was two, and Dad didn't talk about her family much after that. I mean, my grandparents still visited until they were murdered, but they never said anything about Mom's sister."

"Did she maybe do something?" Iruka wondered. Kakashi shrugged.

"No idea. But Keiko's going to be staying in Konoha, so I thought that you should properly meet her," Kakashi said.

"Oh. Okay." Iruka blinked at the sudden change of subject.

"Great. Tomorrow, then?"Kakashi stood up.

"Yeah. Sure."

Iruka wondered if maybe he should go pick up Sasuke from Minato, who had come at some time and taken Sasuke, declaring that he was the Hokage and had the right to take his godson's youngest child. Iruka didn't think that was normal, but he went with it. One less kid to take care of at least.

But Minato had said that he would bring Sasuke back when he felt like it, or when he had the time, and who was Iruka to argue with the Fourth Hokage?

/\/\

The next morning Kakashi woke Iruka up with a demand of where Sasuke was. Iruka mumbled something that sounded like 'the Hokage has him,' but it was hard for Kakashi to be sure. Iruka was still half-asleep after all, and he didn't start functioning properly until he has a cup of coffee.

So Kakashi left the younger man alone and went to Itachi, happy to see his son sitting up in bed and yawning.

"Hey, Itachi," he said quietly. Itachi opened his eyes and smiled when he saw Kakashi, clapping.

"Daddy! You're okay!"

"Yes, Itachi," Kakashi whispered, hugging his son as Itachi runs at him. "I'm okay."

Little did he know, Kakashi would probably never be okay with the horror of what he did to his family.

/\/\

Minato brought Sasuke back at nearly four in the afternoon, and Iruka tore into him, momentarily forgetting that he was shouting at the Fourth Hokage. When he realized that, he mumbled an apology. Minato chuckled.

"Don't apologize, Iruka. You just showed me that you cared, even if you don't want to admit it. I know what you're planning on doing, but if you keep acting like this I'll know that there is no way you would be able to leave them," Minato said quietly. And then the blonde winked and waved, leaving the apartment.

And the weird thing? Minato was probably right.

/\/\

Keiko cooed as she played with Sasuke, scaring Kakashi as she smiled. He hadn't seen her act like this since Daisuke. It was freaking him out.

"So, Keiko," Iruka said slowly. "You're Kakashi's cousin."

"Yep. My mother was his aunt, making me his cousin." Keiko said unnecessarily. Kakashi sighed as she grinned at Iruka.

Iruka groaned at the woman in front of him and she chuckled, turning back to Itachi.

"So Itachi," she said. "How do you like your father?"

She purposely didn't specify which one she was talking about.

"Great!" Itachi smiled. "Daddy is really nice, and lets me play with Hana, who gave me Hikaru!"

He petted the dog in his lap, and Hikaru barked and wagged his tail. "And Daddy likes to tell me about his missions, and how he beats the big bad wolf!"

Kakashi rolled his eye. He could barely tell which one Itachi was talking about—him or Iruka. He was the one with the stories—at least, he thought he was. He couldn't be sure.

"So, your Daddy is a great person?"

"Yep!"

"That's good." Keiko nodded. "And what about your brother?"

"Sasuke? He's great!"

"How is Sasuke great?"

"He's tiny!"

"He's great because he's tiny."

"And he's cute!"

"Tiny and cute." Keiko said. "Okay. Those are great qualities in a younger brother."

"That's what I thought." Itachi said proudly. He grinned and hugged Sasuke lightly, who had crawled over to his older brother when Keiko set him down.

Kakashi smiled. This was his family. And he wouldn't have it any other way.

A/N: Next chapter will be a time skip! Yay!

A/N2: I'm editing this story and then I will put up the next chapter. I just realized there are some minor mistakes and I don't want those bugging me for the rest of my life. Thank you for understanding!


	15. Depression

Daisuke was alive in his dream.

He was a grown man, fully trained to be a deadly shinobi. His father was standing next to him, grinning at Kakashi. Riku was poised to launch a kunai at him behind her family, her face distorted by hatred. Daisuke raised his arm, and a pack of wolves bounded forward. They watched as the wolves tore at Kakashi's flesh, mutilating him, making him suffer for the crimes he had done…

He lurched upward, barely missing Iruka's head with his own. He gasped for breath, covered in sweat, shaking from the all-too-real dream.

Iruka's angry face softened at the display of emotion in front of him. "Hey," he said quietly. "Are you okay?"

Kakashi shook his head very slowly. He stared up at the younger man, fear plastered all over his face. "Iruka, I can't do this anymore."

Iruka sat down on the bed next to Kakashi. The older shinobi shuffled closer to him, hands trembling, needing to be reassured that he was not a monster for killing them.

"What can't you do anymore?" Iruka inquired softly. He draped his arm over Kakashi's shoulders; he felt his companion needed it.

"Missions. I can't do them."

Iruka sighed. He was afraid this was going to happen. "Kakashi, you didn't know they were your family. No one had told you, and you had no way of knowing that Keiko had survived. It wasn't your fault."

"Yes it was!"

"I thought Keiko convinced you that it wasn't."

"No she didn't."

Iruka stared out the window for a minute, trying to word his next answer correctly.

"Kakashi, just because you killed you cousin's family does not mean you can't do missions. It just means you have to know all the facts before you accept a mission."

Kakashi whimpered and shook his head, clearly not listening t a word he said. Iruka sighed.

"Fine, Kakashi. I have to go back to the Academy. I'll send Keiko over to help you with the kids." He stood up and closed the door behind him quietly, going back to his morning preparations.

He downed the remainder of his coffee, placing the mug in the sink. He grabbed his papers and stuffed them into a bag, then checked to make sure that Itachi and Sasuke were still asleep before leaving the apartment.

Keiko's new apartment was a few minutes' walk from Kakashi's. Iruka slightly changed his walk to the Academy to walk past her building.

Keiko answered the door with a snarl, her face brightening when she saw it was him. "Iruka! What are you doing here?"

Iruka sighed. "Kakashi had a break down this morning. I have to go back to work and won't be home all day, and I don't trust him alone with the kids. Can you stay with him?"

Keiko smiled and nodded. "Sure I can. I love Itachi and Sasuke. I can watch them any time you need."

Iruka smiled gratefully and continued his trek to the Academy.

His classroom seemed impossibly messy this morning. The shinobi who had teaching was obviously not very good at keeping things clean.

He sighed and dropped his things on his desk, bending down to pick papers and writing utensils.

His students had started arriving by the time he was done. They sat down in their seats, openly staring at their teacher. Iruka raised an eyebrow, but otherwise ignored it.

He called the class to attention just as the last students entered the room. One student raised her hand.

"Yes, Sayuri?"

"Iruka-sensei, where were you?" Sayuri asked softly, her black hair hanging loose around her face. Iruka smiled.

"I had to take care of some business."

"What kind of business?" Michio asked. Iruka blinked.

"Michio? What are you doing here? You graduated from the Academy last year!"

Michio smiled. "Daichi-sensei wanted me to ask you how Kakashi is doing."

"Oh." Iruka shook his head. God, he had so many bad memories of Michio in this classroom. And headaches. "He's doing great. His ribs have healed."

Sayuri frowned. "Who's Kakashi?"

"Why were his ribs broken?" another student asked. Iruka glared at Michio; the Genin smiled and walked away. Iruka vowed to have a talk with Daichi.

"Kakashi is a close friend. He just recently adopted two children, and I was helping him get settled in," Iruka answered. He dropped into his chair. This was going to be a long day.

"Why were his ribs broken?"

He groaned and closed his eyes. Yep, his headache had officially arrived. Thank you, Michio.

/\/\

Keiko arrived at Kakashi's apartment ten minutes after Iruka had left. She let herself in and peeked into the boys' room to see if they were awake, then opened Kakashi's door and walked in.

Her cousin was curled up on the bed, hugging a pillow to his chest and trying his hardest to forget that night. She sighed and pulled her hair to the side, out of her face. She sat down next to Kakashi.

"Kakashi," she said softly. He grunted. "You have to forgive yourself."

"I can't," he mumbled into the pillow. Keiko dropped a hand onto his shoulder. He flinched.

"Kakashi, you can do anything. You just have to believe in yourself."

He didn't reply. Keiko sighed and stood up, walking to the door. She hesitated before opening it, going back to the kids.

Unless Kakashi could help himself, they would need serious help.

/\/\

Minato smiled down at Naruto, bouncing him slightly. The baby giggled and grabbed his vest.

Keiko sat across from him with Sasuke. Itachi had been sent to Hana's house for the day, and Keiko had appeared at Minato's office with Sasuke in her arms. She had explained the situation with Kakashi, and now they needed to figure out what to do.

"Keiko," Minato sighed, turning his attention away from his son."I don't think there's anything we can do."

"What do you mean? There has to be something!"

"I think the only solution is to wait for Kakashi to deal with it himself."

"Hokage-sama, you didn't see him this morning. Even Iruka couldn't get through to him," Keiko said desperately. "He hasn't gotten out of bed all day, and he didn't eat anything I gave him."

"And he's been through worse."

Keiko's golden eyes slid from Minato's blue ones to the window, staring out at Konoha. "Yes, Hokage-sama."

Even though the Hokage had said they shouldn't do anything, didn't mean she wasn't going to try.

A/N: I apologize for the long wait! I kept meaning to update this story, but I would forget and then never do it. And you guys still need five reviews before you get a story from me! Review!


	16. Love All Around

Days passed. Kakashi stopped leaving his room. Iruka had to almost shove food down his throat just for the man to eat. Itachi and Sasuke played with each other as Iruka and Keiko tried their best to care for them and Kakashi at the same time.

It was Iruka's day off when he finally snapped. He stomped into Kakashi's room and stared at the older shinobi for a long time, before he smacked him across the face hard.

"Grow up, Kakashi!" he shouted as Kakashi stared at him in shock. "You were fine for years before you learned the truth!" His voice softened. "Kakashi, your kids need you. _I_ need you."

Kakashi stared at him for a long time without saying anything. "What?"

"You're affecting everyone with your moping, Kakashi." Iruka crossed his arms. "Grow up."

When Kakashi looked like he was about to sink back into his blankets, Iruka slapped him again. The gray-haired man sprang up from bed, arms extended.

"Okay!" he shouted. "I get it! Just stop hitting me!"

Iruka smirked. "Get dressed. Take a shower. And take your kids outside or something."

He turned and marched out of the room.

/\/\

Kakashi pouted as he rinsed the soap off his body, turning the water off. He stepped out of the shower, wrapping a towel around his waist.

"Iruka's mean," he muttered. He studied his face in the mirror, wincing as he noticed how awful he actually looked. No wonder Iruka had to smack some sense into him. It was a miracle he hadn't done it before today.

He hurriedly dressed, tossing the damp towel in the hamper. He ran a hand through his hair, then shook his head. His wet gray hair flopped into his eyes, for once the gravity-defying strands obeying the laws of gravity.

Iruka smirked as he emerged from the bathroom. Kakashi glared at him, but crouched down so he was eye-level with Itachi.

"Hey, Itachi," he said, smiling. "You and Sasuke want to go to the park?"

"Can we bring Hana and Hikaru?"

"Sure. We can bring them."

Itachi smiled and ran off to get his puppy. Kakashi scowled at Iruka one last time before standing and picking up Sasuke.

/\/\

"So," Tsume said when she arrived at the park with Kiba and Hana. "You have finally emerged from your shell of depression."

Kakashi was too scared to answer her. He nodded. She grinned.

"I don't bite you know."

"Are you sure?"

"…Only if you piss me off."

Itachi and Hana glared at her from where they were playing by a tree. She smiled apologetically, then turned back to Kakashi.

"What's it like knowing you have family again?"

Kakashi blinked at the sudden question. "Okay, I guess."

"That's it?" Tsume lifted an eyebrow.

"It feels pretty good, okay?"

"That sounds better."

They were silent for a moment as they watched Itachi and Hana play.

"You know," Tsume started quietly. "Iruka and I have been friends for a long time. Our parents were on the same team. I've known him my entire life." She smiled. "He's like my brother." She gazed at him with hard hazel eyes. "You hurt him in any way, and I will not hesitate to kill you."

Kakashi gulped at the threat and nodded frantically. She grinned.

"He really likes you," she continued. Kakashi glanced at her sharply. "And I can tell you feel the same. You should just get together and end the whole awkwardness right now."

He blinked at her as she laughed. "You cannot be serious."

"I am! He really does like you!"

"You are a hundred percent sure?"

"Yes. I am an Inuzuka. We never lie."

"Really?"

"…Only when we get pissed off."

"Mommy!"

"Sorry, Hana."

/\/\

Iruka had just finished dinner when Kakashi came in with a sleeping Sasuke in his arms and a dead-tired Itachi holding his hand. The older man put the kids to bed for a nap, then appeared back in the kitchen with his mask pooled around his neck.

Iruka was caught off-guard when the older shinobi strode forward and attached his lips to his. The brunette melted into the kiss, leaning into Kakashi.

When they pulled apart, Iruka gasped for air. He shook his head several times. "What was that?"

"That, Iruka, was obviously a kiss."

Iruka glared at him. "I know that! I meant why?"

"Because I really like you."

Iruka blinked, then scowled. "Tsume told you, didn't she?"

"Of course. Seems you two are really close."

"She's like my sister. I really need to stop telling her things…" Iruka sighed, then stared up at Kakashi. "I like you too."

"Good. Because I'm not letting you go."

/\/\

Itachi yawned as he idly traced patterns on his quilt. He huddled deeper in the warmth, then yawned again.

Hikaru hopped onto the bed next to him, panting and wagging his tail. Itachi smiled and raised his hand to pet the puppy, lifting his head to look at the crib across the room.

Sasuke was cooing quietly to himself, kicking his legs in the air. Itachi laughed and sat up, sliding out of bed to his brother's side. Dark eyes stared at him happily, and Sasuke laughed. Itachi smiled and poked his finger through the bars, letting Sasuke latch onto it with his own tiny hand.

Kakashi and Iruka opened the door, smiling at the sight of the two Uchiha brothers. "Itachi," Kakashi said quietly. "Time for bed."

Itachi turned to them with a pout. "But I'm not tired."

"Too bad. You need to go to bed."

The raven sighed and sent one last look at his brother before climbing back into bed. Kakashi and Iruka said goodnight before turning off the light and closing the door.

When Itachi was sure they were gone, he crept back out of bed to Sasuke.

A/N: This is my next story I'm trying to finish. I'm planning on having it be maybe five or six more chapters, at least until Sasuke's first birthday. There will also be a sequel to this, just like Love Comes in All Shapes and Sizes. Just like that story, it won't be up until at least summer vacation. Next chapter should be up tomorrow!

And you guys still need 4 more reviews until you get your story! So review!


	17. Titles and Bottles

Kakashi sighed as he flipped through TV channels. Sasuke was crawling on the floor next to him, cooing and poking random things. Kakashi dropped the remote on the couch next to him and whined.

"Iruka!"

Iruka walked in to the room with Itachi in his arms, wiping the raven's lunch from his face. "What, Kakashi?"

Kakashi pouted. "I'm bored."

"Then find something to do."

"There's nothing to do!"

"Play with Sasuke."

"Sasuke doesn't want to play."

Iruka raised an eyebrow at his boyfriend, his gaze flicking between the older man and the baby. Sasuke crawled over to the brunette and tugged his pants leg curiously. "How is this not wanting to play?"

"He doesn't!"

"I don't believe you."

"Well, you should!"

Iruka sighed and turned around to go to the boys' room. It was time for Itachi's nap.

Kakashi whined again and collapsed against the back of the couch. "I'm going to die of boredom…"

"I don't think that's possible."

Kakashi jumped when Keiko spoke, a hand against his chest. "God, woman! Warn a man before you do that!"

Keiko smirked. "Why should I? You're a shinobi. I shouldn't have to warn you."

"Shut up."

Kakashi glared at the TV screen, ignoring his cousin as she walked over to him and picked up Sasuke. She smiled at the baby and followed Iruka to the boys' room.

Kakashi was alone. How was he supposed to play with Sasuke when it was time for his nap?

Apparently Iruka secretly hated him if he wanted him to die of boredom.

/\/\

Iruka yawned as he leaned against Kakashi that night. The TV was still on, showing a commercial for fruit or something. He wasn't listening.

Itachi wandered into the room, clutching a worn teddy bear. "Daddy?"

Iruka and Kakashi both looked at him, and he pointed at Kakashi. "That Daddy."

Iruka collapsed against the side of the couch as Kakashi wormed his way out from the tangle of limbs. He heard Kakashi carry Itachi back to bed.

Several minutes later, Kakashi was back and nudging him up so that he could have his spot back.

"What did Itachi want?" he mumbled.

"Couldn't sleep," Kakashi answered. Iruka huddled further into the older man's warmth.

"What are we going to do?"

Kakashi glanced at him. "About what?"

"Itachi calls us both 'daddy.' We'll never be able to tell who's who."

"So we tell him to call one of us something else."

"Well, there are tons of possibilities…" Kakashi said. "Father, Papa, Dad…"

"That's only three."

"They're still possibilities!"

"Fine whatever. Pick one and I'll go with it…" Iruka closed his eyes as another yawn overcame him. Kakashi flipped the TV channel. Iruka fell asleep.

/\/\

Iruka woke up to sharp cries from Sasuke. He forced his heavy eyelids open, lifting his head from Kakashi's chest.

They were in Kakashi's room. The older man must have moved them at some point. Iruka stifled a yawn, scratching his head and noticing that his hair was still up.

He pulled the hair tie out and slipped it around his wrist. He carefully untangled his legs from Kakashi's, then crept out of the room to Sasuke and Itachi's.

He raised an eyebrow when he saw that Itachi was still asleep, unable to hear his brother's cries. He walked over to Sasuke's crib, picking the baby up. Sasuke smiled and poked his nose. Iruka held back a laugh and walked out to the kitchen.

"Are you hungry, Sasuke?" the brunette asked. Sasuke cooed quietly, and Iruka laughed."I'll take that as a yes."

Iruka set Sasuke in his high chair, but when the baby called him back with a screech, he had to settle for holding Sasuke on one hip while he prepared a bottle.

Kakashi startled him, and Iruka twisted around to glare at the other man. "What would you have done if I had dropped Sasuke?"

"I know you wouldn't."

"Doesn't matter. You scared the crap out of me!"

"Don't use such language around a child, Iruka." Kakashi gasped playfully.

"You read porn around an Uchiha prodigy."

"That's not the same!"

"Tell me how it's different."

Kakashi didn't answer. Iruka yawned as he propped Sasuke higher up on his hip.

"Here," Iruka said, stepping aside from his place at the counter. "You make the bottle. I'll sit at the table with Sasuke."

"Why do I have to do it?"

"There are two reasons: one, you woke up. Two: he's your kid."

"He's yours too!"

"And I have done it for the past three weeks while you holed yourself up in your room." Iruka glared at him. "I deserve a break."

Kakashi crossed his arms and scowled at the counter. Iruka smirked before remembering something.

"Oh! What did you pick?"

"Pick what?" Kakashi stared at him.

Iruka rolled his eyes. "Seriously? You're the copy nin? Am I supposed to feel safer with you in the house?"

"Shut up."

"I don't have to. Anyways, what did you pick for the whole 'daddy' situation?"

"Oh, that. I haven't picked yet."

Iruka groaned. "You are hopeless."

"Am not!"

"See? You're arguing like a child!"

"So?"

"You're twenty-three years old."

"So?"

Iruka sighed and shook his head. "Whatever."

Kakashi handed him the bottle, and Iruka carefully fed Sasuke. They watched the baby suck at it for several quiet minutes.

"How about we tell him that I'm Papa, and you're Daddy," Kakashi said finally. Iruka shrugged.

"I don't really care what I'm called, as long as it says that I am _not_ a woman." He glared at his boyfriend. "And I _know_ you were thinking that."

"Was not!"

"Are you sure you're not a five-year-old stuck in a twenty-year-old man's body?"

Kakashi scowled at him. "Yes, I'm sure."

"You're not acting like it."

"So?"

"See?"

Iruka stood and dropped the bottle in Kakashi hand. "There. You can wash that while I put Sasuke to bed."

"What?"

"Wash it. I've done it nearly the entire time I've been helping you."

"So?"

Iruka gave him a smile. "Revenge."

He ignored Kakashi's whine as he left the kitchen.

A/N: I decided that because school doesn't start until almost eleven today, I would write up a quick chapter and put it up for you guys. This story is really close to being done; I have an ending place and everything. Just have to get there… You guys need three more reviews! Come on! You can do it!


	18. Drunk Hokages and Angry Chuunin

Kakashi propped his hip against the counter as he bounced Sasuke gently. He looked at Keiko with hard eyes.

"No."

"Why not?" his cousin whined. She crossed her arms. "He's turning four!"

"Doesn't matter. I am not inviting Gai."

"You know what? Who cares what you think! I'm going to Iruka!"

Keiko stomped out of the room. Kakashi stiffened, knowing what would happen next.

She would tell Iruka; the brunette would invite Gai; Itachi would be scarred for life because of him; Kakashi would be contemplating suicide; and it would start all over again for Sasuke's birthday.

He hated his life sometimes.

He sighed and looked down at Sasuke, happily mouthing one of his toys. The baby looked at him with dark eyes.

"Sasuke, I forbid you to train with Gai," he muttered, shifting his weight to reach for Sasuke's food.

/\/\

Itachi shook his head, trying to clear the excessive noise. Why were so many people he didn't know at his birthday party?

"Happy birthday, Itachi!" Kushina said, setting Naruto next to Sasuke. Itachi smiled and raised his arms for a hug. The redhead grinned and bent down to embrace him.

"Don't tell your daddy," she whispered, "but Uncle Minato and I are taking you home with us."

"Really?" Itachi pulled back and stared at her with wide eyes.

"Yep!" Kushina tilted her head to the side. "I'll pack for you before the night is over, okay?"

Itachi nodded eagerly and she wandered away towards the kitchen.

A man dressed in green spandex stumbled into the room on his hands, panting. Itachi glanced at him wearily before shuffling closer to his father, gripping the gray-haired ninja's pant leg. Kakashi patted him on the head.

"Don't worry, Itachi," he said. "He'll be gone soon."

Kakashi nearly sprinted form the room, going into the kitchen.

"Minato-sensei," he panted. "Please tell me Anko is not going to be here."

Minato shrugged, taking a sip of his drink with a smirk. "Don't know."

Kakashi whimpered and glanced back at the living room, where everyone was gathered. Then he grinned under his mask and shifted, barking at the expression Minato was giving him.

"That is not fair, Kakashi," the blonde muttered. He grabbed the sake bottle, dropping his glass in the sink. "If we have to deal with them, you do too."

Kakashi feigned temporary hearing loss and damn near pranced back into the living room.

Iruka glared at him from where he was talking to Kurenai and Asuma. Kakashi let his tongue loll out of his mouth in place of a smug grin and wandered over to Itachi, who happily patted him on the head.

Gai sprang over to where they were, grinning. "YOUTH! My rival, you are a wonderful man! Raising two children who are not your—"

Kakashi lunged forward and lodged his teeth into the man's leg, who cried out and tried to push him away.

_I swear, Gai,_ Kakashi threatened, _you_ _say anything about the adoption I will not hesitate to kill you._

"G-got it, rival!" Gai finally tugged his sore leg free, whining. Kakashi backed away and shook his head. He didn't know what the man was complaining about; he hadn't even broken skin!

Itachi looked at them weirdly then shrugged. Shinobi were weird. So was his dad. He wasn't going to say anything.

Iruka stomped over to them, gripping the back of Kakashi's neck and dragging the wolf away. He let him go when they reached the kitchen, where Minato was still downing the alcohol.

"What did he do now?" Minato grunted, shaking his head. It was times like these he wished he could go to a bar and drink his weight in booze.

"Bit Gai."

"Ha!" Minato laughed drunkenly, raising his hand for a high-five. "Good job, Kakashi!"

Iruka glared at him and hit Kakashi above his tail. The wolf whimpered and dropped to his belly, tail curled around him. The brunette smirked.

"I knew that having a dog when I was younger would come in handy."

Minato laughed again and lifted his bottle to his mouth. Iruka stomped over to him and snatched it from him.

"No more sake for you, Hokage-sama."

"Please," Minato hiccuped. "I'm not the Hokage right now! Right now, I'm a superhero! Call me Jiraiya!"

"Did somebody say my name?" Jiraiya himself walked into the room, and Iruka gaped at him.

"Who the heck invited you?" He frowned. "When the hell did you even get back in the village?"

"That is for me to know," the Sannin said, raising his arms. He giggled. "And for you to find out! Come on, Minato! We must fight crime!"

He and the blonde stumbled from the room, and in the confusion Kakashi was able to slip out. He crawled over to the couch, where he slipped between it and the wall and hid.

He stayed there until he heard that Minato and Jiraiya were walking on the ceiling. He lifted his head and stared up at his sensei as the blonde maneuvered his way over to Jiraiya.

He sat up, cocking his head to the side. He crept out from behind the couch, relieved to see that Iruka did not glare at him when the brunette locked eyes with him.

Kakashi shifted and stood next to Anko, who offered him a sake bottle. He took it pulled his mask down, for once not caring who saw him. He trusted these people, and he needed alcohol.

Anko smirked at him. "You do realize that you're trying to get drunk at your son's birthday party?"

"Yeah. So?"

"Nothing." Anko scratched her arm. "Just thought you should know that Minato and Jiraiya look like they're going to ask you to join them."

"Oh, hell no!"

Kakashi handed the bottle back to her and hurried over to Tsume, who handed him a sleeping Kiba.

"Hold him," she said desperately. "I really have to pee!"

She sprinted away and Kakashi blinked. He could now 'being asked to hold Tsume's youngest child while she runs away to pee' to his list of things he never thought he would be asked.

Huh. He had some weird friends…

A/N: One or two more chapter you guys! Soon I'll be done with my stories and can work on the sequels! Yay!


	19. Love and Frustrated Blondes

Minato groaned as he lifted his head from his soft pillow – God, it was so _bright_. He blinked as he stared at the window angrily.

Kushina smiled at him from where she was standing by the mirror, Naruto in her arms.

"What happened last night?" Minato croaked, dropping his head back to his pillow. Kushina laughed quietly.

"Well, would you like me to start before or after you and Jiraiya tried to jump out the window drunk off your ass?"

"How much did I drink?"

"Enough to loudly admit to everyone there that you wanted to be showered with love everyday of the rest of your life."

"Damn!" Minato stared up at his wife. "I said that?"

"Did I say you were very loud?"

Kushina grinned as her husband groaned and rolled over so that his face was firmly planted in the pillow. "If it makes you feel any better," she said. "Jiraiya was even more drunk than you were. He said some pretty embarrassing stuff."

Itachi walked into their bedroom and raised his arms. "Aunty Kushina," he said. "I'm hungry."

Minato's head snapped up, but he immediately regretted the action. God, it felt like there were tiny people dancing inside his head with ten-inch heels!

"What is he doing here?"

"You kidnapped him."

"I did _what_?"

Itachi grinned at his uncle. "You grabbed me and carried me here. It's okay though," he added at Minato's expression of horror. "Papa won't be mad."

"It's not your papa I'm worried about, Itachi," Minato sighed. "It's your daddy."

/\/\

Iruka fumed as he dragged Kakashi out of the apartment, Sasuke in the older man's arms.

"How could he do that? It was Itachi's own birthday for God's sake!"

"Minato-sensei has always been a very Gai-like drunk, Iruka," Kakashi informed him. "That's why we try to keep him as far away from alcohol as we can."

"Well, that obviously didn't work!"

"Calm down, Iruka."

"I can't! He kidnapped our son!"

"So? He does that nearly every weekend."

"But we know about it then!"

"So?"

Iruka growled at his boyfriend and continued marching to Minato and Kushina's house, where he would yell at the blonde until his voice was hoarse.

/\/\

When Itachi was finally home, Iruka kicked out all of the people who were too drunk or lazy to go home. He made a mental note to not have sake at Sasuke's birthday party.

Kakashi was talking to Keiko in the living room, watching Itachi and Sasuke. Iruka sighed tiredly, shaking his head. He couldn't wait for when Sasuke was older. There wouldn't be so many sleepless nights then.

And he wouldn't have to worry about Kakashi screwing something up. At least, not as much as he worried now.

Kakashi laughed loudly as Keiko said something, and Iruka rolled his eyes. His boyfriend was so weird sometimes.

Iruka turned his head to stare at the window above the sink as he washed the dishes. It was a nice day outside, the sun was shining and the sky was blue. Not a cloud in sight. He smiled.

Keiko would no doubt want to start planning Sasuke's birthday now.

/\/\

Minato looked up at the ceiling, growling low in his throat. The ANBU in front of him twitched at the sound.

"Hokage-sama," she said. "Please forgive my partner. He does not mean to be late. He had a very rough night last night."

"It's not that I'm mad about, Shizuka," he said. "It's this mission. Suna never needs help from us. What is going on with them?"

Shizuka didn't answer, the dark eyes that Minato could barely see behind the mask trained on the window behind him. Minato dropped his head into his hands.

"Shizuka," he said. "You may go. Find Hiroto and brief him on the mission. Set out immediately for Suna."

"Yes, Hokage-sama."

Minato didn't look up when she abruptly disappeared. He studied the lines of the floor, thinking hard. Why would Suna request Konoha's help? The only thing keeping the two villages form ripping each other apart was the tense treaty they had. And that barely stopped it. So what was going on?

/\/\

Iruka woke up the next morning hungry. He trudged into the kitchen, pouring a cup of coffee. Kakashi glanced at him from in front of the fridge, smiling.

"Hey, Iruka!"

"I know, Kakashi." Iruka shook his head tiredly. "Give me a minute to wake up."

Kakashi sat down at the table and stared as Iruka finally started breakfast. "You know," he commented. "You are the best boyfriend ever."

Iruka raised an eyebrow in his direction. "Of course I am. I'm me."

Kakashi laughed.

/\/\

A few days passed. Keiko was finally made an official Konoha kunoichi, and she was now able to take missions. Technically, she was only a Genin, but she would easily move up through the ranks. She was Jonin-level after all.

Tsume spent more time with Iruka and Kakashi, and babysitting for them when Keiko couldn't. She really did think of Iruka as her younger brother, Kakashi found out, when Iruka had trouble with the students at the Academy after such a long absence. She scared them so badly Kakashi was sure that Iruka would never have difficulty again with that class.

As Kakashi spent more and more time with Iruka, he realized something. He truly loved the man, and without Iruka his life would be worth almost nothing.

A/N: I HATE MY KEYBOARD! It is not working properly. And all the computers in my house hate me. Why? Why do they hate me? Anyways, next chapter is the last. Yay!


	20. Happy Birthday, Sasuke!

"Happy birthday, Sasuke!" Iruka heard Itachi shout. The brunette groaned and lifted his head, glaring at the sun shining brightly through the window.

"Kakashi," he muttered, stretching out a hand to the man next to him. The copy nin grunted and shifted position to get farther from his hand. "Go check on the kids, Kakashi."

When there was no response, Iruka growled and flung out an arm, successfully hitting his boyfriend and shoving him out of the bed.

"Hey!"

"Your fault."

Iruka returned to the bliss that was sleep in a matter of seconds.

/\/\

Kakashi mumbled to himself as he pushed himself off the ground. He shot a glare at Iruka as he left the room, pulling on a shirt.

Itachi was standing next to Sasuke's crib, playing with the baby. Kakashi stepped up next to him, leaning forward and picking Sasuke up. He smiled down at Itachi's guilty expression.

"Come on, Itachi, time for breakfast."

They walked out the hallway, passing the room Iruka was still in. Itachi stopped to try to get the brunette up, but his efforts were met with a pillow flying over his shoulder. Kakashi rolled his eyes with a sigh, lifting Sasuke to act as a shield for his face.

"Iruka," he said, cautiously creeping forward to poke his boyfriend. The brunette raised a hand threateningly, but he had nothing to throw. "Iruka, you have to get up. It's Sasuke's birthday."

Iruka mumbled something and Kakashi shrugged, dropping his baby shield to his hip. He walked away and grabbed Itachi's hand, pulling him to the kitchen.

"What do you think Sasuke would like for breakfast, Itachi?" Kakashi asked, setting Sasuke in his high chair. Itachi thought long and hard.

"Pizza!"

"Sasuke can't have pizza. Do you want pizza, Itachi?"

"Yes!"

Kakashi sighed. Great, his son's favorite food was pizza, all because of when he went to Iruka's that first time and gave him cold pizza.

"What does your brother want?"

"Pizza!"

"Something besides pizza, Itachi."

"I want fruit, too. Maybe Sasuke wants some fruit!"

Kakashi shrugged and checked the list taped to the fridge. He could never remember what Sasuke was allowed to eat, so Iruka had finally written a list. Fruit _was_ on that list, though it said that it needed to be cut into little cubes…He could do that.

"Okay, Itachi, go get some pizza from the fridge." Kakashi gave his son a hard stare. "But _do not_ eat all of it like last time."

"Okay, Papa."

While Itachi was getting his pizza, Kakashi busied himself with cutting the fruit. Sasuke was tracing his fingers along his high chair, and Kakashi placed a plate of food in front of him.

"Here you go, Sasuke."

Sasuke glanced up at him curiously, before picking up a piece of watermelon carefully. He giggled and placed it in his mouth, chewing carefully, and grinned as some juice dripped down his chin. Kakashi sighed and prepared himself to clean the messy baby.

By the time Iruka appeared, the boys were done with their breakfast. Itachi happily waved to Iruka, who raised a hand tiredly and trudged over to the coffee machine.

"There's no coffee, Kakashi!" he whined upon seeing the empty pot. Kakashi shrugged as he tried to get clean Sasuke.

"I've been kinda busy, Iruka. Make some up quick."

Iruka glared at him. "This is revenge for throwing that pillow this morning."

"Nope. But you really do need to stop doing that."

Itachi grinned and skipped over to the brunette, latching onto his pants leg. "Hi, Daddy!"

"Hi, Itachi. Sorry for throwing a pillow at you."

"It's okay! You do it almost every morning!"

"Oh, gosh, I really do need to stop doing that."

Kakashi smirked in his direction. "Told you."

"Shut up, Kakashi."

"When's Uncle Minato coming over?" Itachi asked, tugging Iruka's pant leg to get his attention. Iruka shrugged, eyes on his precious coffee.

"Some time after lunch."

Iruka sighed as he sipped his coffee, leaning against the counter. "Come on, Itachi. Let's go get ready," he muttered.

Itachi grinned.

/\/\

There were once again people Kakashi wanted nowhere near his children in his house. Kakashi could do nothing about it. Iruka had threatened to kick him out if he so much as thought of shifting to a wolf to escape the madness of Gai's arrival.

He could do nothing but watch Itachi and Sasuke carefully and make sure they were never in contact with the crazy shinobi.

At the moment, Itachi was playing with Hana in front of the TV. Sasuke was in Minato's arms, and Kakashi grinned upon seeing that Iruka was glaring at the blonde from across the room. He strode over to his sensei.

"You know, sensei, Iruka is still really mad at you," he commented. Minato glanced over at Iruka and groaned.

"I was drunk, Iruka! I do stupid things when I'm drunk!"

There was a sudden silence, and Kakashi grinned when he realized that Minato had shouted that at a lull in conversation.

"Oh, crap," Minato muttered. Iruka smirked and Kakashi held his arms out for Sasuke. Minato handed him over and slid behind his wife, allowing Kushina to hide him from the rest of the party.

"I can't believe he did that," Kakashi muttered as he shifted Sasuke in his arms. He sighed. "Happy birthday, Sasuke."

/\/\

Iruka sighed as he handed out another piece of cake. He scowled down at the chocolate cake. Who even like chocolate cake? He sure didn't!

"You know," Kakashi said as he slipped behind Iruka. "Glaring at it won't make it go away."

"Shut up."

"Why do you hate it? It just wants some love."

"And it won't get any."

"Gosh, Iruka, you are mean to the cake."

"I don't like chocolate cake!"

"Sure, sure, say what you like." Kakashi stepped back with a shrug. "I'm just saying. It needs some love from you."

"Whatever." Iruka cut another piece and slid it onto a plate. He stared longingly at the vanilla ice cream for several minutes before Kakashi snapped him out of it.

"Hey, Iruka! Stop fantasizing about the ice cream!" Kakashi pouted under his mask. "You don't even look at me like that."

"You're not ice cream. I love you, but I love ice cream more."

Kakashi sighed. "Of course you do. Ice cream is irresistible."

"I agree. Now go find Sasuke and Itachi."

"Fine."

Kakashi wandered away and Iruka smirked. Well, at least he could stare at the ice cream in peace now.

A/N: This story is officially complete! The sequel will be up soon. I just want to get a few chapters out for a couple of my other stories, start writing new chapters for new stories, things like that. I promise it will be up soon!


End file.
